What We Learned This Week - "Delay of Game"

EPA extended the comment period on a proposed Clean Water Act jurisdiction rule until November 14.  The delay will allow more time for opinions to be aired regarding the rule; such as these from the Des Moines Water Works, Missouri Farmers Union, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven and the American Farm Bureau Federation.  West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio-based groups have expressed water quality concerns over West Virginia plans to drill for natural gas beneath the Ohio River. West Virginia biologists are hard at work trying to restore freshwater mussel populations in the Ohio, Kanawha and Elk rivers.  U.S. farmers are on track to harvest a record 14.54 billion bushels of corn this year; that's a little over 407 million tons.  However, crop shipment delays are hitting farmers hard in western Minnesota  and causing upper Midwest corn prices to drop.  Manure from antibiotic-treated farm animals spread onto soil can cause soil bacteria to grow resistant to the drugs. Money targeted for coastal Louisiana restoration may have been misspent by the Environmental Protection Agency and the state, according to two Inspector Generals' reports.  A Louisiana judge ruled that a new state law crafted specifically to terminate a levee board's wetland loss lawsuit against oil and gas companies doesn't apply to that suit. The Union of Concerned Scientists predicts that sea-level-rise-driven tidal flooding will dramatically increase along the Gulf Coast.  Nonetheless, Americans are flocking to their sinking shores even as flooding risks mount.  In related news, Congress has been characterized as "squirrely" when it comes to disaster mitigation. It's still 25 days until the "official" mid-term election day, but early, in-person voting is already underway in the Mississippi River Basin states of Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio and Indiana, and seven other states.  But do voters anyone really care this time around? Polls imply that they don't seem to like anything or anybody.  One reason may be that negative political ads are far outweighing positive ads, and airing at a rate higher than in recent elections.  Senators Roy Blunt (Missouri) and Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota) tied this year as "best cooks" in the U.S. Senate.  And last but not least, it costs too much to ship grains from the Midwest by barge to New Orleans export terminals.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

This Week and Next

Sunset in Louisville,
Kentucky

This week saw an eclectic mix of Mississippi River Basin stakeholders come together along the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky to discuss shared Mississippi River Basin goals, strategies and commitments at America's Watershed Initiative Summit.  There was quite a bit of lively discourse, so look for some potentially-interesting outgrowth from that gathering in the months ahead, including a Report Card on the health of the Basin and its subwatersheds.  Elsewhere, there was quite a bit of back and forth of  the political and scientific variety last week concerning the Obama Administration's proposed rule seeking to clarify the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act - lively discourse as well, though perhaps not as productive as that happening in Louisville.  With the proposed rule comment period soon to close, we can expect next week to see more of the same. The halls of Congress will be quiet again next week, as its members continue to politic back home in hopes of returning to Washington in 2015. You can read our concise summary of all of this and more in "What We Learned This Week - 'Nor any drop to drink'" and can see all of the best bits we could otherwise gather, below.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

"Waters of the U.S." Proposed Rule

• EPA Science Advisory Board declares that the Army Corps-EPA controversial clean water proposal is supported by science http://ow.ly/C98fA 
• USEPA Administrator McCarthy: Toledo water contamination was symptomatic of two larger water quality problems: nutrient pollution and toxic algae; proposed clean water act rule will help; speech text: http://ow.ly/C6wqz, news article: http://ow.ly/C6wQf
• EPA releases new video on the Obama Administration's Clean Water jurisdiction proposal http://ow.ly/CeT1B
• Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy says administration should withdraw proposed Clean Water Act rule and convene a Small Business Advocacy Review panel; SBA letter: http://ow.ly/Cc1gu (news article: http://ow.ly/Cc4Jm)
• 63 business groups urge federal regulators to withdraw proposed rule redefining waters of the United States http://ow.ly/C9b7P
• Iowa Governor Branstad speaks out against proposed Obama administration clean water rule http://ow.ly/C6WmA

Other Water Quality News

• EPA plans to issue drinking water health advisories for cyanobacteria - culprits in harmful algal blooms - by May 2015 http://ow.ly/CcoYL
• Groups representing many Minnesota cities threaten to sue state Pollution Control Agency over new water-quality rules http://ow.ly/Cf1yA
• Environmental groups decide to drop appeal of a much-watched court decision relating to

  

  Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation 

  (CAFO)

  stormwater runoff from CAFOs http://ow.ly/CeO1o
• EPA Inspector General report: hundreds of unmonitored hazardous chemicals pass through U.S. wastewater treatment plants into receiving water bodies http://ow.ly/C6w4E
• Despite phase-out, persistent chemical formerly used in Scotchgard contaminates most fish in U.S. rivers, Great Lakes ow.ly/BYy6D
• Perchloroethylene in U.S. Census Bureau's well-water (Jeffersonville, Indiana) increases well above USEPA recommended limit http://ow.ly/C3Ytt
• Pennyslvania DEP admits to Marcellus Shale groundwater contamination drilling probe errors in Ohio River basin http://ow.ly/C45pt
• Federal judge upholds U.S. EPA's 2011 retroactive Clean Water Act permit veto of West Virginia mountaintop mine http://ow.ly/CaFFV
• New Upper Mississippi River buoy to house water quality and weather monitoring equipment in Navigation Pool 8 http://ow.ly/CeSJg

Rate of Ogallala Aquifer decline
(click to enlarge)

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.)

• West Virginia oil and gas company pleads guilty to Clean Water Act criminal charges for wetland and stream destruction http://ow.ly/CeQaa
• Barge industry says inland waterways system is a flood, drought or mechanical breakdown away from disaster after years of neglect http://ow.ly/C3TPF
• Sen. Landrieu, Louisiana port officials push White House to support money for maritime projects in the state http://ow.ly/C6Ifl
• Teams selected to design self-sustaining Lower Mississippi River Delta solutions to reduce land loss, improve navigation, strengthen resilience http://ow.ly/C6JpK
• Ogallala aquifer water continues to pour onto farm fields despite decades of dire forecasts http://ow.ly/C45Rp
• Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District awards nearly $12 million contract to restore Mississippi River Pool 9 habitat http://ow.ly/C49wv
• Army Corps of Engineers evaluates sediment flushing at Gavins Point Dam in support of the Missouri River Recovery Program http://ow.ly/C6GNH
• Army Corps of Engineers begins Initial Watershed Assessment for Scioto River Basin (Ohio) to define water resources related issues, opportunities http://ow.ly/C6H8j
• New report: Without significant changes, existing water systems will soon no longer be able to provide essential services http://ow.ly/C6KGD
• USEPA: Flood Resilience: A Basic Guide For Water and Wastewater Utilities  http://ow.ly/C71L1
• Obama administration will participate next week in Supreme Court oral arguments in long-running Kansas-Nebraska water dispute http://ow.ly/CeQIa

Agriculture -

• Tumbling soy and corn prices could push some farmers into the red and some out of farming altogether http://ow.ly/C3SwQ
• USDA Awards Over $52 Million in Grants to Grow Organic and Local Food Economies http://ow.ly/C6yEa
• Los Angeles Times editorial board: nation must stop overusing herbicides and genetically modified crops in escalating superweed war http://ow.ly/C6Adc
• Food and Drug Administration: The amount of antibiotics sold for use in livestock rose substantially in recent years http://ow.ly/CeUA0
• Saratoga Town Board approves groundwater monitoring well network around a proposed large-scale dairy (Wisconsin) http://ow.ly/Ccq4X

Climate and Weather -

U.S. Drought Monitor-Midwest
for September 30 (click to enlarge)

• US drought update: dryness expanded in spots throughout the basin (Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kentucky), while rains kept things generally wet elsewhere http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• NWS Precipitation Forecast for next 7 days: Upper Mississippi, Illinois, Ohio River basins will see a lot of rain http://ow.ly/CeUX2
• NOAA Climate Prediction Center monthly drought outlook for October: most of central and southern Great Plains likely to see persistence/intensification of drought conditions  http://ow.ly/q3yAx
• Protecting the U.S. from climate change is a growing priority at the Department of Homeland Security http://ow.ly/BZx8s
• U.S. emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide have risen 6% in the last two years http://ow.ly/C3XSw

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Minnesota DNR seeks federal approval to use potash to kill Christmas Lake zebra mussels ow.ly/BYz6S
• Super weed confirmed in South Dakota for first time, raising concerns it could spread into the Upper Midwest http://ow.ly/C971X
• Fish and Wildlife Service announces $900,000 in grants to encourage ranchers, livestock farmers to avoid killing Western and Midwestern wolves http://ow.ly/C3QoN
• University of Minnesota researcher has become one of the country's leading champions for bees http://ow.ly/C3TzU
• 60 U.S. House Democrats urge EPA to restrict 'bee-killing'  neonicotinoid chemicals http://ow.ly/C98YN
• Louisiana farmers, state and federal officials, look to manage growing populations of feral hogs http://ow.ly/C3V6t
• Alligator spotted in Minnesota - then shot and killed http://ow.ly/CaGcr

In the Cities -

• New Orleans' Green Infrastructure Partnership designed to find better ways to use water, improve water quality, stop sewer system overflows http://ow.ly/C4aac (also see article, below)
• New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board dedicating $500,000 a year for next five years to invest in green infrastructure http://ow.ly/C6ZWv

In the States-

• Draft Montana State water plan open for public comment; meetings coming up in Dillon, Drummond http://bit.ly/1mGyIND
• North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple proposes $80 million for parks and conservation projects in his 2015-2017 budget http://ow.ly/C6Gdp
• Nearly $2 million in state funding will go to enhance park and recreation offerings in three eastern Iowa counties http://ow.ly/C6HFN
• Proposed Pennsylvania bill would eliminate riparian buffer requirements for new, large-scale development in high quality or exceptional value watersheds http://ow.ly/Cc3L6 (also see this blog article on PA bill http://ow.ly/Cc42A)

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Department of Homeland Security's inspector general report says Louisiana has been slow to implement disaster mitigation projects http://ow.ly/Cc39E

Resource Development -

• Wisconsin's burgeoning frac sand mining industry is poised for more growth into up to two dozen additional counties ow.ly/BYyA3

Events - Events -  Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar)

• EESI Briefing: Cellulosic Ethanol: A Technology Update, October 6, 3 - 4:30 pm, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC http://ow.ly/C3N1g
• Climate trends and impact webinar: Exploring Snowfall in the United States, October 9, 12:00 - 1:00 ET http://ow.ly/C6ybP
• Seminar: Unnatural Disasters: How Law Hurts, How Law Helps, October 9, 4 PM CT, University of Minnesota; details: http://ow.ly/CePmf
• Reminder-still time to register:  2014 Mississippi River Conference, October 15-17, Moline, Illinois http://ow.ly/C99DP
• Mississippi River Watershed Education Symposium, Nov. 14-15, Lewis and Clark Community College, Godfrey, Illinois http://ow.ly/CeSq7
• StormCon North American Water Quality Conference call for papers (Austin, Texas, August 2 - 6, 2015) http://ow.ly/C70US deadline Nov. 19
• Save the dates: Leadership for Midwestern Watersheds meeting, January 21-22,  DeKalb, IL - "Beginning RCPP Projects"  http://ow.ly/C9as8
• Society for Ecological Restoration 6th World Conference on Ecological Restoration; Manchester, UK, August 23-27, 2015 http://www.ser2015.org/

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• The Nature Conservancy's September Great Rivers E-news http://bit.ly/1rxQHGg
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's River Connections for September 2014 http://ow.ly/C4JO4
• You can find the link to the latest Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy "TUWaterWays" reports here: http://ow.ly/Cc0lx (the September 30 issue isn't posted yet, however)
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Feedlot Update - Oct. 2 http://ow.ly/CeOPc

Other news-

• Latest National Geographic "Greendex survey" - U.S. ranks last overall in environmental attitudes and habits, contrasting sharply with the attitude in large developing economies http://ow.ly/C40N7
• From @RiverLifeUMN: New Stories, New Images for the Mississippi River http://ow.ly/C74a9

Politics and People-

• Interior Secretary Jewell names three officials to temporarily lead the department's budget, science and water programs http://ow.ly/CeREy
• In a 5-4 decision, U.S. Supreme Court delays start of early voting in Ohio just a day before it would have begun http://ow.ly/C6UN7
• State court: Kansas Democrats won’t be forced to field a candidate in the state’s pivotal U.S. Senate race http://ow.ly/CbZQz
• Safe Republican House district candidates drifting further right; a move likely to increase divisions in already-polarized Congress http://ow.ly/C3ZMG
• AP-GfK-poll - Just 7 percent of likely voters approve of the way Congress is handling its job http://ow.ly/CeLSp

Your Moment of Zen -

A photograph from the European Space Agency shows an illustration of the supermassive black hole located in the middle of the very dense galaxy M60-UCD1, which lies about 50 million light years away.  Photograph: ESA/AFP

What We Learned This Week - "Nor any drop to drink"

U.S. EPA Administrator McCarthy said that Toledo's water contamination episode this summer was symptomatic of two larger water quality problems: nutrient pollution and toxic algal blooms. The EPA plans to issue drinking water health advisories for the culprits in such harmful algal blooms - cyanobacteria - by May 2015.  Iowa Governor Branstad spoke out against the proposed Obama administration clean water jurisdiction rule, known as "Waters of the U.S.," as did 63 business groups, citing "serious concerns" over the way the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers have operated during the proposed rule comment period. Meanwhile, the EPA's Science Advisory Board declared that the controversial clean water proposal is supported by science.  Hundreds of unmonitored hazardous chemicals routinely pass through U.S. wastewater treatment plants into receiving water bodies.  The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments next week in a Republican River water dispute between Kansas and Nebraska dating back to the 1980s. The water under dispoute in Kansas and Nebraska and found elsewhere in the solar system is actually older than the sun and planets - originating in a cold interstellar cloud of gas from which those objects were formed.  Some of that very old water - from the Ogallala aquifer - continues to pour onto farm fields despite decades of dire forecasts regarding its unsustainable use.  Barge industry representatives contend that the U.S. inland waterways system is one flood, drought or mechanical breakdown away from disaster, following years of neglect.  The super weed, Palmer amaranth, has been confirmed in South Dakota for first time, raising concerns it could next spread into the Upper Midwest.  U.S. emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide have risen six percent in the last two years.  The U.S. ranks last overall in environmental attitudes and habits of its citizens, contrasting sharply with public attitudes in large developing economies.  A mere seven percent of likely voters approve of the way Congress is handling its job.   That job-handling capacity may not be changing soon, since GOP candidates facing reelection in "safe" Republican House districts are tacking decidedly to the right in a move likely to increase divisions in the already-polarized U.S. Congress.   And last but not least, in agricultural news that transcends watershed boundaries, a New Jersey farm opened a five-acre corn maze carved in honor of retiring New York Yankees shortstop and baseball great, Derek Jeter.

What We Learned This Week - "Do you hear the people sing?"

The Government Accountability Office found that the Army Corps of Engineers has been unable to adequately track, and give Congress an accurate reckoning of, its backlogged water resources projects.  The Waterways Council believes that barge operators are the only waterway users who pay for the nation’s waterways infrastructure improvements. Grafton, Illinois residents don't love the smell of dead Asian carp in the morning. Already banned in Illinois, toothpaste brand Crest will no longer put polyethylene microbeads - under growing scrutiny for their potential to contaminate water - in its products.   USDA's Office of Inspector General has filed a request to purchase submachine guns in the interest of agency staff self-protection.  Environmental benefits and profitability are boosted on 95% of the farmland where cover crops are utilized.   2014 is shaping up to be one of best years ever for the ethanol business, and one of the worst years ever for passing laws: the current Congress has seen just 165 pieces of legislation enacted over nearly two years. And the odds of major legislation becoming law during the next two years are equally low, no matter the outcome of November's mid term election.  The Global Carbon Project reports that global emissions of greenhouse gases jumped 2.3 percent in 2013 to record levels: the latest indication that the world's nations are not making headway in their efforts to control climate change.  Some angry people took to the streets around the globe to protest that inaction.  But not everyone cares; polls show that while most Americans believe in climate change, many give it a low priority.  There will likely be many more people soon than we've heretofore anticipated, as global population growth is now predicted to exceed previous projections.  New Orleans made the list of top cities with "the most to lose from rising sea levels."   The American Society of Civil Engineers reports that the country has failed to adequately act upon the flood risks exposed by 2005's Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans. And last but not least, Kansans will use October to prepare for zombie apocalypses and other natural disasters.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

This Week and Next
The past seven days found the Army Corps of Engineers in GAO's proverbial doghouse, the smell of dead Asian carp wafting over the streets of Grafton, Illinois, submachine guns ordered at the USDA, and a lot of angry people taking to the streets in an effort to shift the political landscape of climate change.  You can dive into the details, below, or skip the gore, and read our pithy, one-paragraph summary here: "What We Learned This Week - 'Do you hear the people sing?'"

Next Week in Congress - Zippo.  Congress is not in session and its members are gone until November 12.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Already banned in Illinois, toothpaste brand Crest will no longer put polyethylene microbeads - under growing scrutiny for their potential to contaminate the environment - in its products http://ow.ly/BLC77
• USEPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks exudes calm as tensions mount in farm country over a proposed clean water rule http://ow.ly/BMCYX
• Draft EPA Science Advisory Board report: proposed rule to clarify Clean Water Act protection is scientifically sound http://ow.ly/BUN78
• National Farmers Union submits comments to U.S. EPA on proposed rule addressing Waters of the US http://ow.ly/BLTzG
• USEPA will not appeal district court Clean Water Act decision that ruled in favor of large West Virginia CAFO http://ow.ly/BMDDJ
• After EPA drops its appeal, Court of Appeals extends deadline to file briefings in West Virginia agricultural water pollution case http://ow.ly/BRdRu
• Dairy Business Association op-ed: Don't blame Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) for pollution http://ow.ly/BUWth
• Indiana's Wabash River struggles with algae, excess nutrients http://ow.ly/BOyDB as work goes on to improve its water quality ow.ly/BMO8n
• Saving the Minnesota River: Activists, advocates seek to reach consensus on issues and solutions http://ow.ly/BOzhR
• World stands by as algae and dead zones ruin water; Expensive research and cleanup efforts make little headway http://ow.ly/BVCpu

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.) -

• Taxpayers for Common Sense: FEMA flood risk reduction measure eligibility changes will lead to unwise flood plain development http://ow.ly/BLz7U
• Reps. Quigley (D-IL), King (R-NY) introduce "Urban Flooding Awareness Act" to prompt NRC study on urban flooding http://ow.ly/BRcQO
• GAO: Army Corps of Engineers unable to adequately track, give Congress reckoning of, backlogged water resources projects http://ow.ly/BOkDa
• Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District awards contract to dredge the Mississippi River for $4.3+ Million http://ow.ly/BOAAU
• American Society of Civil Engineers: country has failed to adequately act upon risks exposed by Hurricane Katrina. Abstract-"Flood Risk Management: Call for a National Strategy" http://ow.ly/BMEOy (news article: http://ow.ly/BMEXx)
• Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) files legislation to establish new Prairie Pothole region national wildlife refuge to protect wetlands; bill: http://ow.ly/BLATI and story: http://ow.ly/BLBd5
• Waterways Council Op-Ed: Barge industry bears the cost of modernizing waterways. Washington Post: http://wapo.st/1uLrEAt
• DOT 12th annual state transportation statistics report: Louisiana top state in 2011 and 2012 in tons of waterborne cargo shipped http://ow.ly/BLRHp New Orleans was 14th most active port (2012) http://ow.ly/BLSeY
• New Environmental Law Institute handbook: Improving Outcomes and Increasing Benefits Associated with Wetland and Stream Restoration and Protection Projects http://ow.ly/BUV34

Agriculture -

• Groups call on USDA to provide details on how it plans to manage the farm bill's Conservation Reserve Program http://ow.ly/BUnUa
• Consumer demands are prompting some of the Midwest's large-scale farms to adjust to more food-conscious markets http://ow.ly/BLLiz
• Des Moines Register Online: Cover crops on 95% of land boost profitability as well as environmental benefits http://ow.ly/BLOJX
• Threats of lawsuits by groups who want to block Enlist herbicide could delay Dow’s hopes to have farmers planting new GE crops next spring http://ow.ly/BLPzS
• 2014 may be one of best years ever for ethanol business http://ow.ly/BLQjT but industry still faces uncertainties http://ow.ly/BLQqv
• Nearly 3.5 million gallons of cellulosic biofuel produced in U.S. in August, more than all other months of 2014 combined http://ow.ly/BUnlR
• Agriculture, conservation organizations announce three-year North American initiative to help growers facing climate impacts http://ow.ly/BRbvA

Climate and Weather -

Drought Study No 6. Grand Lake,
Oklahoma. Photo by Jesse Rieser

• Weekly U.S. Drought Monitor: No significant change in drought/ dryness conditions over the Midwest,  central, northern Plains http://ow.ly/BVzKa
• Global Carbon Project reports that global emissions of greenhouse gases jumped 2.3 percent in 2013 to record levels http://ow.ly/BLtSR
• Polls show most Americans believe in climate change, but give it a low priority http://ow.ly/BOoxv
• UN Climate Summit achieved quite a bit more than expected http://ow.ly/BUOuO
• Photo exhibit depicts how 2012 drought altered the Arkansas River Basin landscape http://ow.ly/BOBfq
• Flooding Risk From Climate Change, Country by Country (3.1 million at risk in U.S.) http://ow.ly/BRaD9
• Video available from RFF forum on (climate change) Economics and the Environment, with EPA Administrator McCarthy http://ow.ly/BY8ls

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

Kirtland's snake

• Grafton, Illinois residents demand action over malodor from American Heartland Fish's Asian carp processing plant http://ow.ly/BOjbr
• Center for Biological Diversity settles with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over Endangered Species Act protection for Kirtland’s snake (north-central Midwest) http://ow.ly/BOlut

In the Cities -

• Two major sustainability efforts to promote Mississippi River commerce and health announced by Mississippi River mayors http://ow.ly/BUMhB
• La Crosse, Wisconsin offers permeable pavement tax credit to reduce volume of stormwater runoff to the City's wastewater system http://ow.ly/BLFy6
• American Society of Landscape Architects: Every city should have its own green infrastructure strategy and actionable plan to make it happen http://ow.ly/BLGah
• Batavia, IL integrates innovative stormwater management technologies, like permeable pavement and tree cell systems, into street redevelopment http://ow.ly/BLGBi

In the States-

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency requests comments on water quality improvement report for Rice Creek watershed (Ramsey and Anoka counties) http://ow.ly/BMG6c

Click to enlarge

Gulf Coastal Region-

• New Orleans makes cities with "the most to lose from rising sea levels" list http://ow.ly/BP06P
• National Academy of Sciences will take applications soon for $500 million, 30-year research initiative in response to BP oil disaster http://ow.ly/BLMst
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy:  "Community Resettlement Prospects in Southeast Louisiana" http://ow.ly/BRb2O (large PDF file)

Resource Development -

• Pennsylvania drilling regulations come after damages, as the state's trial and error approach leaves Marcellus Shale wounds http://ow.ly/BLLG1
Frac sand mining impacts to Upper Midwestern water resources, air quality, property values take center stage in new report; story: http://ow.ly/BY4L7 and report: ow.ly/BY4xO

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar)

• September 26 (and every Friday): University of Illinois Weekly Friday Webinar on Farm Bill Decision Aids and Programs, 8:00-9:30 AM CDT http://ow.ly/BYaiX
• Free Webinar: Phragmites Management in the US: 40 years of Methods and Outcomes, September 30, 1-2 pm ET http://ow.ly/BRywo
• St. Croix River art, poetry, and stories to be featured in “Reading the River,” October 2, 7 PM, ArtReach St. Croix, Stillwater, MN http://ow.ly/BOzID
• Save the date: Free Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) briefing: Update on Cellulosic Biofuel Production, 2:30-4 pm, October 6, Capitol Hill (details will be listed here: http://ow.ly/BLvwm)
• Society for Conservation Biology webinar: Making conservation policy through the law, scientists and legal strategies to protect biodiversity October 9, 2:30 pm ET http://ow.ly/BVKUK
• Ohio Wetlands Summit: Wetland Restoration, November 15, 8:30-2:30, Grange Insurance Audubon Center, Columbus, OH http://ow.ly/BLwmq
• Wisconsin Wetlands Association's 20th Anniversary Wetland Science Conference: Telling Our Stories, Madison, February 24-26, 2015 http://ow.ly/BLCX1
• 52nd International
 Making Cities Livable Conference on Achieving Green, Healthy Cities, Bristol, United Kingdom, June 29 - July 3, 2015 http://ow.ly/BLHaa

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Lower Mississippi River Dispatch, No 258, Tuesday, Sept 23 http://ow.ly/BOi5z
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's TUWaterWays e-newsletter for September 24 http://ow.ly/BS4vA
• Horinko Group "Sustainabulletin" e-newsletter: September 2014 http://ow.ly/BURCD (with coverage of UMRBA summit on Upper Mississippi commercial navigation)
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council's September 25 Watershed News http://ow.ly/BY3gq with coverage of the proposed state water plan
• Gulf Restoration Network's bi-weekly e-newsletter Gulf Waves http://ow.ly/BY6xP
• Farm Foundation NFP's first issue of the Soil Renaissance Newsletter (September 2014) http://ow.ly/BY7rP
• Green Lands Blue Waters e-newsletter update, highlighting continuous living cover on Mississippi River Basin farmland http://ow.ly/BY805

Other news-

• Kansans will use October ("Zombie Preparedness Month") to prepare for zombie apocalypses  and other natural disasters http://ow.ly/BUF4v
• USDA's Office of Inspector General has filed a request to purchase submachine guns in the interest of staff self-protection http://ow.ly/BLxHF
• Global population may grow to exceed previous projections; stabilization unlikely this century http://ow.ly/BOlWq

(click to enlarge)

Politics and People-

• Tom Vilsack plans to stay on as USDA head, making him one of the last original Obama administration cabinet members http://ow.ly/BYaVh
• Environmental groups are fearful of Republicans winning a U.S. Senate majority in November midterm election http://ow.ly/BLqpw
• After dragging on for several weeks, Kansas' U.S. Senate race drama results in head-to-head matchup between Orman and Roberts http://ow.ly/BLs3o
• House GOP Members who vote against John Boehner for Speaker may find themselves stripped of all committee assignments http://ow.ly/BLwW7
• 113th Congress has seen just 165 pieces of legislation enacted - a low number relative to past Congressional sessions http://ow.ly/BOmIS
• Early voting started Thursday in Iowa, where absentee ballots made up 43 percent of the total cast in 2012 http://ow.ly/BUCZu

Your Moment of Zen -

What We Learned This Week - "Say 'Ah' . . . or 'Uh' or 'Um'"

Lawmakers approved a $1 trillion stopgap-spending bill to keep the government funded through December 11, and then went home to campaign.  The Army Corps of Engineers acted appropriately during the 2012-2013 drought and Missouri River 2011 flood.   The USDA awarded $15.7 million in Conservation Innovation Grants, including funding for 17 projects within the Mississippi River Basin. That Department also approved new genetically modified corn and soybeans, clearing the way for application of a new herbicide (pending USEPA approval).  Corn and oil don't mix: Shipping companies may miss out on exports from record-setting U.S. grain crop, as the Great Plains shale-oil boom clogs up rail lines to ports.  2014 was warmest summer, globally, since record collecting started in 1880.  If you say "um" quite a lot, you can thank the "Midwest Dialect" that floated down the Ohio River from Pittsburgh long ago.   Minnesota quietly released its final nutrient reduction strategy for state surface waters. Iowa has a bit further to go in that regard, and should invest more in its water quality.   Including Iowa's commissioner, a gathering of state agriculture commissioners unanimously vote to call for the Obama administration to withdraw its controversial Waters of the U.S. proposal.  Attorneys general from seven states and the District of Columbia disagreed with the agricultural commissioners, expressing support for the proposed water rule.  A new Presidential executive order requires the development of a detailed plan by February on a national antibiotic resistant bacteria strategy (Approximately 23,000 people in the United States die annually due to antibiotic-resistant infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).  In a blow to Sen. Pat Roberts’ chances for reelection, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that Democrat Chad Taylor’s name must be removed from the ballot for U.S. Senate. Farm groups are by and large sticking with Senate Republicans such as Senator Roberts, despite their past Farm Bill opposition.  And last but not least, over 800 million people worldwide do not get enough to eat, even as the world produces more than twice as much food as it needs, according to new United Nations figures.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Virtual Newspaper for an Aquatic World~

Government Funded through December 11; Congress Leaves Town
Congress wrapped up an eight-day work session Thursday, after the Senate passed a bill funding the government

and authorizing a narrow slice of President Obama’s strategy against Islamic State militants, each for less than three months. The stop-gap funding bill or "Continuing Resolution" (passed by the House on Wednesday) was one of Congress' last orders of business before adjourning until after the November 4 midterm elections. The bill makes very few changes to existing spending amounts, maintaining funding at an annual level of $1.02 trillion through December 11. Apart from making a few changes such as keeping NOAA's weather satellite programs funded and allowing for continued collection of national park fees, the measure keeps in place all existing policy riders.

Congress is scheduled to return on November 12, when (apart from the ongoing Middle Eastern intervention debate) two issues will largely occupy its time through the remainder of the year.  First, members will need to work out the terms of legislation to fund the government beyond December 11.  Both the Senate (Sen. Barb Mikulski) and House (Rep. Hal Rogers) Appropriation Committee chairs would like to see an omnibus spending bill incorporating the negotiated elements of the separate appropriations measures already drafted by their respective committees. Second, Congressional committee staff will be working diligently behind the scenes to lay the groundwork for any early 2015 legislative initiatives that take shape after the midterm election dust has settled.  Stay tuned.

Abridged News
If you prefer your news in a more abridged format, look no further than here: What We Learned This Week - "Say 'Ah' . . . . or 'Uh' or 'Um'"

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week  

Water Quality -

• Beer battle brewing over Obama administration clean water rule defining authority to regulate bodies of water http://ow.ly/BGf0j
• Attorneys general from seven states (NY, IL, CT, MD, DE, RI, WA), and District of Columbia express support for controversial Obama administration proposed water rule http://ow.ly/BAVO1
• State agriculture commissioners unanimously vote to call for Obama administration to withdraw controversial Waters of the U.S. proposal http://ow.ly/BwwK2
• Iowa's agriculture commissioner: EPA proposed Waters of the U.S. rule could reverse voluntary work to improve waterways http://ow.ly/Byiec
• Quad City Times Op-ed: "Iowa should invest in water quality" http://ow.ly/BBAyd
• Over 30 years, the Sauk River Chain of Lakes (Minnesota) has undergone a transformation for the good, but challenges remain http://ow.ly/BvzTB
• Private well water nitrate testing program expands in Dakota County, Minnesota http://ow.ly/BvAqQ
• Mankato State University research identifies chemicals that may effectively remove sediments from construction runoff http://ow.ly/BvEir
• Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District: main break last week in Chesterfield caused 11 million-gallon sewage discharge http://ow.ly/BB8vx
• Study of tainted drinking water shows that contamination most likely caused by leaky wells, not  hydraulic fracturing http://ow.ly/BybQs (study abstract: http://ow.ly/BybTz)
• EPA publishes its biennial preliminary plan for studying and possibly regulating industrial wastewater discharges http://ow.ly/BAWNF

Water Resource Management (Floodplains, Dams, Navigation, Wetlands, Flooding, Supplies, etc.) -

• Government Accountability Office facilitated panel: Army Corps of Engineers actions during 2012-2013 drought, Missouri River 2011 flood were appropriate http://ow.ly/BwAxf
• North Platte Natural Resources District looks to offset North Platte River impacts from groundwater well development http://ow.ly/Byu5g
• Iowa City residents, politicians discuss Iowa River,Coralville Reservoir flooding with Army Corps of Engineers http://ow.ly/ByuyD

Agriculture -

• USDA announces award of $15.7 million in Conservation Innovation Grants to 47 organizations http://ow.ly/ByeMg (here are the 17 USDA CIG grant awards announced within the Mississippi River Basin http://ow.ly/Byfuz) 
• Over 800 million people worldwide do not get enough to eat, even as the world produces more than twice as much food as it needs http://ow.ly/BAXP7 
  
• Iowa’s cropland values fell 3.4 percent during the last six months http://ow.ly/BErgg
• House Agriculture Subcommittee holds hearing to examine benefits of promoting soil health in agriculture, rural America http://ow.ly/BGdj9 (see related link below)
• National Association of Conservation Districts statement before House Agriculture Subcommittee on  benefits of promoting soil health http://ow.ly/BErWf
• Presidential executive order requires detailed plan by February to implement national strategy on antibiotic resistant bacteria http://ow.ly/BGd2L
• Shipping companies may miss out on exports from record U.S. grain crop as shale-oil boom clogs up rail lines to ports http://ow.ly/BGdGR
• USDA approves genetically modified corn and soybeans, clearing path for new herbicide http://ow.ly/BGloH

Climate and Weather -

• NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center: 2014 was warmest summer, globally, since record collections began in 1880 http://ow.ly/BGhmE (related article: http://ow.ly/BGhye)
• US drought update: Another week of beneficial moisture led to drought improvement in Midwest and Great Plains http://ow.ly/BGe7v  trend should continue through the fall http://ow.ly/BGejx
• AgWeb: Watch how U.S. temperatures have changed over this past century http://ow.ly/BGiJG
• Georgetown Climate Center Releases 100 Recommendations to Improve Federal Programs to Prepare for Climate Change http://ow.ly/ByD7g

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Syngenta asks U.S. EPA to increase allowable levels of neonicotinoid pesticides amid growing bee decline concerns http://ow.ly/BvwuA

In the Cities -

• Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative mayors meet  in New Orleans to discuss climate, commerce, sustainability http://ow.ly/BysKq (media release here: http://ow.ly/BGktH)
• Mayors seek to grow new fund to provide seed money for sustainable waterfront development along the Mississippi River http://ow.ly/BGkks

In the States-

• Minnesota releases final nutrient reduction strategy for state surface waters; document: http://ow.ly/BCjL0; strategy web site: http://ow.ly/BCjRa
• Indiana gives initial okay to rules governing stand-alone, livestock manure ponds and lagoons http://ow.ly/BqiGR
• Wisconsin DNR under Gov. Scott Walker gets mixed reviews http://ow.ly/BB8O2

Forestry -

• DuPont to pay $1.85 M fine to resolve alleged herbicide injures to trees in several states, including Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin http://ow.ly/ByBUG

Resource Development -

• House passes two GOP legislative packages to approve Keystone XL oil pipeline, boost domestic energy production http://ow.ly/BGjrk (H.R. 2 http://ow.ly/BGjAo and H.R. 4 http://ow.ly/BGjHP)
• American Petroleum Institute, renewable energy groups accuse Environmental Protection Agency of “playing politics” with nation’s ethanol mandate http://ow.ly/BvlXu

Federal Budget -

• House approved $1 trillion stopgap-spending bill on Wednesday (bill information here: http://ow.ly/BGfXH) to keep the government funded through December 11 http://ow.ly/BCG54 (roll call vote: ow.ly/BCAVu) Senate passed bill on Thursday http://ow.ly/BGfLC (roll call vote: http://ow.ly/BGg86)

Events - Information on all past and future events listed here each week can be viewed in the on-line calendar, located above and to the right (and here as a stand-alone calendar)

• September 25 webinar will provide overview of how information can be obtained from NOAA’s climate service offices http://ow.ly/BAXbX
• Annual St. Croix River Association Fall Gathering, Crex Meadows Wildlife Area, Grantsburg, WI, October 4 http://ow.ly/Bye40
• Registration Open until October 10 for December 8-12 USEPA Water Quality Standards Academy in Washington, DC http://ow.ly/BBo82
• American Farmland Trust’s Farmland, Food and Livable Communities Conference, Lexington, Kentucky, October 20-22 http://ow.ly/BvmVM
• Fall 2014 Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force Meeting (attend in person or via webcast), October 21, Godfrey, IL http://ow.ly/BAU0A
• October 27 Webinar: accessing Upper Mississippi River Restoration-Long Term Resource Monitoring Program data using visualization tools http://ow.ly/ByheM
• Association of State Floodplain Managers 2015 conference: Call for Presenters Open - Deadline October 31 http://ow.ly/ByCxh
• May 6-8, 2015 Ohio Stormwater Conference - Call for Abstracts and Posters - Deadline November 10, 2014 http://ow.ly/BylXz
• Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge annual migrating waterfowl, fall color bus tour; Nov. 15 http://ow.ly/BvDjZ

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• American Farmland Trust September e-newsletter http://ow.ly/BGkRl
• Green Lands Blue Waters update highlighting Mississippi River Basin agricultural land Continuous Living Cover efforts http://ow.ly/BvnD2
• EPA’s Nonpoint Source News-Notes, Issue #96 (September 2014) http://ow.ly/BAUxI
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's TUWaterWays news for September 16 http://ow.ly/BAUUH
• "Lower Mississippi River Dispatch" No 257, Sept 18 http://ow.ly/BEnVp
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council's September 18 Watershed News http://ow.ly/BGi6o
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Watershed Network News - Sept. 18 http://ow.ly/BGimq

Other news-

• Nearly 18,000 rubber ducks made their way down North Platte River in annual United Way rubber duck dash fundraiser http://ow.ly/BvAGb

Politics and People-

• Farm Groups Stick With Senate Republicans Despite Farm Bill Opposition http://ow.ly/BGerS
• NRDC names Rhea Suh, Interior Department's assistant secretary for policy, management and budget, as new president http://ow.ly/BCoP5
• Kansas Supreme Court rules that Democrat Chad Taylor’s name must be removed from the ballot for U.S. Senate http://ow.ly/BGeDC; a blow to Sen. Pat Roberts’ (R-Kan.) chances for reelection
• Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) launches second phase of his investigation into the U.S. EPA http://ow.ly/BGjaH
• Eight work-days after a five-week summer recess, U.S. House and Senate adjourn until after the midterm elections http://ow.ly/BGfdq
• Senate sets November 12 as date for returning for post-election lame duck session http://ow.ly/Bz4S0

Your Moment of Zen -

Yellowstone National Park