What We Learned This Week - "Push 'em back. Push 'em back. Way back."

Thirteen states asked a federal judge to issue a preliminary injunction to halt the Waters of the U.S. rule before its August 28 implementation. The National Corn Growers Association wrote a letter to the EPA asking that the agency push back that effective date.  Downstate Illinois state lawmakers want the Interior Department to extend the public comment period on its new mining stream protection rule.  The Farm Bureau said its maps depict an EPA Clean Water Act regulatory overreach.  EPA disagreed, calling the Farm Bureau maps "highly inaccurate depictions.” A Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld the state's new water quality standards. Exxon Mobil will pay $5 million to Arkansas and the federal government over its role in a 2013 Pegasus pipeline crude oil spill.  Several thousand near-surface fracking wells pose a threat to U.S. drinking water supplies.  The  number of U.S. farmers markets tripled over the past 15 years.  An Army Corps of Engineers' analysis indicates that replacing the Tennessee River's aging Chickamauga Lock would be twice as costly as originally estimated; however, Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander believes that the project should be completed.  Louisiana state leaders and environmental groups renewed their demand that the federal government fix wetlands outside of New Orleans destroyed by the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet shipping channel. A list of Gulf of Mexico restoration projects recommended to receive the first round of BP oil spill fine funding was released for public comment. The federal Keystone XL pipeline decision process is taking far longer than usual. An analysis by federal agencies found that an Arkansas hog farm is not likely to have significant detrimental impacts on the Buffalo National River.  A newly identified tadpole disease has been found to be impacting frogs worldwide.  A coal strip mining operation is set to start on a sizable portion of an eastern Ohio wildlife area.  And last but not least, five percent more U.S. adults approve of the way Congress is doing its job today than did in 2013 (meaning that a total of 14 percent now approve).

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Most of the Water News - None of the Spin~

WOTUS Rule Lawsuits Are Consolidated

On July 31, a Judicial Panel on Multi-District litigation agreed to consolidate 12 lawsuits brought against the Waters of the United States (Clean Water) rule into one case to be heard before the 6th Circuit Court in Cincinnati, Ohio. Because the lawsuits against the rule address common issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers requested to have the petitions consolidated by the Judicial Panel, which agreed and then randomly selected a circuit court to hear the challenges. The random lottery "winner" - the 6th Circuit Court - covers parts of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, and is characterized as relatively moderate, compared to the traditionally more liberal 9th and 2nd Circuit Courts, where environmental groups filed petitions against the rule at the outset.  You can find links to this and other rule-related news, below, under "Water Quality."

U.S. Senate Passes Algal Toxin and National Estuary Program Bills

Before fleeing Washington for five weeks, the U.S. Senate passed two fairly non-controversial water-related bills.  One bill (H.R. 212) directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop and submit to Congress a strategic plan for assessing and managing risks associated with algal toxins in drinking water provided by public water systems. H.R. 212 was previously passed by the House, and will now be sent on to the President for his signature. The second bill (S. 1523) reauthorizes through fiscal year 2020 the EPA National Estuaries Program, a place-based program to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of 28 estuaries of national significance, including the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary in southeastern Louisiana (bounded on the east by the Mississippi River).  A related reauthorization bill (H.R. 944) passed the House in June, but it differs somewhat from the Senate bill.  Those differences will need to be resolved before a consensus bill is considered and potentially passed into law.

New USGS On-Line Water Quality Tool Reports on Mississippi River Basin Tributary Relative Nutrient Loading

The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program launched a

new online graphical data tool at the end of July to provide data on national ambient water-quality conditions by annually summarizing nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads, along with flow information for 106 river and stream sites across the country, including in the Mississippi River Basin. Throughout the Mississippi River Basin, the tool can be used to evaluate nutrient loading to coastal areas and large tributaries.  Persons can contact NAWQA Program Chief William Wilber with questions or feedback regarding the online tool or any other components of the NAWQA Program (telephone: (703) 648-6878; email: wgwilber@usgs.gov).

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

(Click to enlarge)

• This year's Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" area is above the historic average, at 6,474 square miles http://ow.ly/Qwa1H (also see this related Mississippi River Collaborative release: http://ow.ly/QwacN)
• Dead zone off Louisiana coast slightly larger than last summer, but triple the size of the target set by a task force http://ow.ly/QzuyO
• Voluntary measures haven't stopped algae blooms in Gulf of Mexico http://ow.ly/QtznZ
• Des Moines business group offers to broker deal settling Water Works' water quality lawsuit against three Iowa counties http://ow.ly/QzzkC
• Op-ed: “middle ground” farm-level water quality plans supported as solution to Iowa's ag-related water quality problems http://ow.ly/QC1Qa
• Senate passes bills reauthorizing National Estuary Program; requiring EPA to develop strategic plan to protect drinking water from algal toxins http://ow.ly/Qzeod
• Humans spike ecosystems with active pharmaceuticals, feminizing male fish, confusing birds, and worrying scientists http://ow.ly/QpULJ
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: too much road salt is winding up in Twin Cities lakes and streams; story: http://ow.ly/QsYpM (news release: http://ow.ly/QsYuX)
• EPA issues Final 2014 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan re: control of industrial wastewater discharges http://ow.ly/Qt6OG
• No cause determined yet for fish kill last week on the south branch of the Whitewater River, Minnesota http://ow.ly/Qt94Q
• North Dakota Department of Health notified of August 6, 4,260 barrel-produced water (brine) spill http://ow.ly/QC0jW (August 7 update: No surface waters were impacted http://ow.ly/QCdh0)
• Farmers near Dyersville, Iowa show off efforts to reduce impaired Hewitt Creek watershed pollution http://ow.ly/QzrR6
• Government Accountability Office: Improved Financial Indicators Could Strengthen EPA Oversight of Clean and Drinking Water SRFs http://ow.ly/QzvZa
• Arch Coal Inc. and 14 subsidiaries settle with Obama administration to resolve over 1,000 Clean Water Act violations in several states, including Kentucky, Pennsylvania,and West Virginia http://ow.ly/QC2sI

Waters of the United States Rule

• 12 lawsuits brought against Obama administration “waters of the US” rule to be heard as one case before 6th Circuit Court in Cincinnati, Ohio http://ow.ly/Qqk96
• Five agricultural groups request that U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers delay new clean water rule effective date; letter: http://ow.ly/QqawI and story: http://ow.ly/QllqX
• Internal Army Corps documents on clean water rule may open door to environmental group legal challenges citing National Environmental Policy Act http://ow.ly/QzxWN

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

• Op-ed: Hydropower industry attempting power grab to make it difficult-if not impossible-to ensure

  

  Wikimedia commons

  fish passage, other modern dam improvements http://ow.ly/QBYLL
• House bill introduced to give developers more options to mitigate wetlands damages under federal requirements; conservationists say bill's approach would gut the government's no-net-loss policy; story:  http://ow.ly/Qw4OL and bill: http://ow.ly/Qw4Fi
• Sensors, satellites and software helping to grow more crops with less water http://ow.ly/Qt8bG
• La Crosse County judge halts train traffic on new rail line until court can look at how traffic could potentially harm La Crosse River wetland http://ow.ly/QtArp
• "Fishermen" oppose Mississippi River diversions to fix Louisiana coast http://ow.ly/Qzuh2

Agriculture -

• Revolutionary political, economic and social shifts are necessary to avoid unprecedented food system chaos http://ow.ly/Qwbnb
• With Idaho law gone, attention turns to other "ag-gag" states, including Montana, North Dakota, Missouri, Kansas and Iowa http://ow.ly/Qz6VF
• University of Minnesota researchers say agriculture is expected to be the first big beneficiary of drone technology http://ow.ly/Qw4f9
• South Dakota State University researchers find that corn pests are less of a problem when there's a diverse population of bugs http://ow.ly/Qq2U8
• State farming organizations plan to put Illinois at forefront of worldwide agriculture; develop Food and Agriculture RoadMap http://ow.ly/Qt0q6

Click to enlarge

Climate and Weather -

• US Drought update: a week of heat after a period of general dryness brought advance of dryness across central Wisconsin into northeastern Iowa, western and northern Louisiana, southeastern Oklahoma and southwest Arkansas http://ow.ly/QzPwi
• NOAA: most likely area for drought development in August is the Lower Mississippi Valley and East Texas http://ow.ly/Qq0cH
• It's almost a certainty that we're headed for the strongest El Niño of the past 100 years http://ow.ly/QpZLl

Photo: Conrad Wilson | MPR News

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources updates its list of lakes and rivers infested with aquatic invasive species http://ow.ly/QkYAN
• Walleye fishing on Lake Mille Lacs, Minnesota closes, as catch exceeds tight seasonal quota http://ow.ly/QpQ7A (see related articles, below, under "In the States")
• Yellowstone National Park fisheries managers moving ahead with plan to destroy invasive brook trout in Soda Butte Creek http://ow.ly/Qr5wQ
• Public comment sought on strategic plan addressing St. Croix River watershed aquatic invasive species http://ow.ly/QtCAL
• Zebra mussels reported in Lake Stella in Central Minnesota http://ow.ly/Qu3Ki

In the Cities -

• New York Times: Is New Orleans Safe? The state’s master plan could avert a watery demise. But it would cost many billions http://ow.ly/QpV6I
• Ten years on, Hurricane Katrina's scars endure for black New Orleans http://ow.ly/QC4Ut
• New metric is being used by Williston, North Dakota to measure oil boom-bust population changes: sewage flow http://ow.ly/Qzpl7

In the States-

• Center for State and Local Government Excellence: Nearly three-quarters of states and

  

  Mississippi River Basin States in the News

  localities reported making new hires in the past year http://ow.ly/QqFro
• Mille Lacs walleye decline may spell trouble for Minnesota DNR, as Republican state legislators zero in on agency http://ow.ly/QsXZw
• Minnesota Legislative Working Group on Mille Lacs Lake focused on the how and why of the walleye problem http://ow.ly/QvXfd
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton partially revives environmental citizen's board eliminated during 2015 legislative session http://ow.ly/QvXD8
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources releases list of 118 DNR land parcels under review for possible sale in second year of efforts resulting from Wisconsin Act 20 http://ow.ly/QwcBV
• Amid Illinois’ budget stalemate, scores of workers begin receiving layoff notices http://ow.ly/QC5A5

Photograph: OLI/Landsat-8/Nasa

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Study: Sea defenses not enough to protect delta cities from rising flood risk; ‘Eco-based’ engineering systems may be key to protecting cities; those on the Mississippi may become up to eight times more at risk from rising tides, storm surges or catastrophic downstream floods; The Guardian story: http://ow.ly/QC3cW (study abstract: http://ow.ly/QC38K)
• Report assesses impacts of Outer Continental Shelf activity on coastal communities' public infrastructure, services and populations following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita http://ow.ly/Qu5Gx (large PDF file)

Forestry -

• U.S. Forest Service warns that two-thirds of its budget could go to fighting wildfires within a decade http://ow.ly/QvZiW
• Department of Natural Resources monitoring shows forestry operations are protective of Wisconsin water quality http://ow.ly/Qwdy9

Source: Washington Post

Resource Development -

• Washington Post article and maps show all U.S. electricity capacity by source, including hydropower (hydropower map to right) http://ow.ly/QqcWq
• Alpha Natural Resources, one of U.S.'s largest coal mining companies, files for federal Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection http://ow.ly/Qr4E5
• Alpha Natural Resources Inc. expressed concern about mine-cleanup liabilities as it filed for federal bankruptcy protection http://ow.ly/QsTbR
• Coal miners are "battling each other for scraps" in the Illinois and Powder River (coal) basins http://ow.ly/Qtx3g
• Minnesota ublic Utilities Commission will require state to study the cumulative environmental impact of two new Enbridge Energy pipelines http://ow.ly/QtxCk
• Oklahoma regulators tell energy companies to sharply reduce underground wastewater disposal in earthquake-prone area http://ow.ly/QwbTA

Federal Budget (You can follow the status of all of the fiscal year 2016 appropriation bills on this Congress.gov web page) - 

• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he will begin negotiations with Democrats to prevent a government shutdown at end of September http://ow.ly/QvYyB

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) 

• Wisconsin August Natural Resources Board meeting, 8:30 AM, August 12 (streamed live; will be available on demand) http://ow.ly/QC0Rv
• USGS webinar: Wisconsin Edge-of-Field Monitoring Experience: Perspectives and Lessons Learned; August 12, 2 pm ET http://ow.ly/Qzb90
• EPA Green Infrastructure program webcast: Paying for Stormwater-The Benefits of a Utility; August 13, 1-2:30 PM ET http://ow.ly/QweGx (register here: http://ow.ly/QweOs)
• National Academy of Science meeting: Effective Approaches for Monitoring and Assessing Gulf of Mexico Restoration Activities; August 24-26, New Orleans, LA http://ow.ly/QzLWQ
• Missouri Water Protection Forum, Water Quality Standards Workgroup, September 15, 1 – 4 PM CT, Lewis and Clark State Office Building, 1101 Riverside Drive, Jefferson City http://ow.ly/Qq3yI
• EPA-USDA National Workshop on Water Quality Markets, September 15-17, University of Nebraska (register by August 31) http://ow.ly/QzwOF
• National Science Foundation meeting: Environmental Research and Education Advisory Committee; September 16-17, Arlington, VA (open to public) http://ow.ly/QztCM
• National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration 2016 Conference - Call for Dedicated Session Proposals http://ow.ly/Qw5Ur (deadline October 1)
• 8th Annual Growing Sustainable Communities Conference, October 6-7, Grand River Center, 500 Bell St., Dubuque, Iowa http://ow.ly/QzOl4
• America's Watershed Initiative Mississippi River Watershed Caucus, October 14, from 8:30 AM- 4 PM, St. Louis, Missouri http://ow.ly/Qt54H

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 299,  August 3: Wild Miles on the Big River http://ow.ly/QpQTz
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council's July 31 Watershed News http://ow.ly/QqbfI
• August 3 edition of the Watershed Winds newsletter from Penn State Extension http://ow.ly/Qr6Gp
• St. Croix River Association August 4 e-newsletter http://ow.ly/QvY7W
•  August issue of Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine http://ow.ly/QwdPT
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Feedlot Update - August 2015 http://ow.ly/QzBqm

Other news-

• Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduces bill to permanently reauthorize and fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million annually http://ow.ly/Qw2Mh (link to bill: http://ow.ly/Qw3cY)
• Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduces "Waterfront Community Revitalization and Resiliency Act" press release: http://ow.ly/QwGsx and bill link: http://ow.ly/QwGG2
• PEER issues report on prehistoric burial site mismanagement and desecration at Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa http://ow.ly/QsSsR
• Washington Post: Pursuing the unsettling question of how many cows contribute their parts to be in one hamburger http://ow.ly/QzCPL

Politics and People-

• Washington Post ranks 2015's 364 acronym-named bills by acronym quality - and there are some pretty bad ones http://ow.ly/QsZEY
• Pew Research Center: "Current Congress is looking a little more productive – so far" http://ow.ly/QC6ZH
• Iowa and Arkansas AGs to co-chair newly formed National Attorneys General Agriculture Committee http://ow.ly/QC18y
• Mississippi truck driver Robert Gray-a virtually unknown candidate-claims state's Democratic gubernatorial nomination http://ow.ly/Qw7gl
• Renee Turner named new programs director for Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division Civil Works Integration Division http://ow.ly/QtBhG
• Democrat Katie McGinty to run for US Senate in Pennsylvania http://ow.ly/Qu2Im
• September 10, Nashville, Tennessee mayoral race runoff vote anticipated, assuming none of seven candidates wins 50%+ of Thursday vote http://ow.ly/QzqtQ

Your Moment of Zen -

Photograph: Anuar Patjane

What We Learned This Week - "You say you want a revolution"

Like the children in Lake Wobegon, this year's Gulf of Mexico dead zone area is above average. Twelve lawsuits brought against the Obama administration over its “waters of the United States” rule will be consolidated into one case to be heard before the 6th Circuit Court. Agricultural groups requested that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers delay the effective date of that new clean water rule.  Humans have spiked the Earth with active pharmaceuticals, feminizing male fish, confusing birds, and worrying scientists.  Also being spiked: Twin Cities lakes and streams, with an overabundance of road salt. The New York Times asked, “is New Orleans is safe?”  And The Guardian answered, “not even close.” Sensors, satellites and software are helping to grow more crops with less water. That innovation may prove to be a tiny part of the political, economic and social revolution said to be needed to avoid unprecedented global food system chaos. We are almost certainly headed for the strongest El Niño of the past century. Minnesota utility regulators say the state needs to study the cumulative environmental impact of two proposed Enbridge Energy pipelines. Defying state lawmakers, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton partially revived an environmental citizen's board that was eliminated during the recent state legislative session. A U.S. Senate bill was introduced to permanently reauthorize and fund the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund.  The Senate passed two non-controversial water-related bills hours before recessing for the month.  And last but not least, Washington, DC is sinking fast - in a very literal sense.

Capitol Hill This Week - What to Watch For - UPDATED

Steve Helber, AP Photo

U.S. House members began their summer recess following last Wednesday's votes, not to return until September 8.  That exodus leaves only the Senate in session this week.  Below are the only two Senate activities currently scheduled for the week that relate to Mississippi River Basin water resources.  Links are provided to the relevant committee web pages. Many Congressional proceedings are webcast live, and these may be, as well (follow the respective meeting or hearing link).  All times are Eastern.  This information will be updated as warranted. 

Tuesday

• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing entitled, “Oversight of Litigation at the Environmental Protection Agency and Fish and Wildlife Service: Impacts on the U.S. Economy, States, Local Communities and the Environment;” 9:30 AM, room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Wednesday

• NEW - Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meeting to markup the ARENA Act (an energy bill), will include a markup of  S.1523, a measure to reauthorize the National Estuary Program, S. 1500, to strip EPA of its authority to issue Clean Water Act permits for pesticide spraying over waterways, and S. 722, to amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to extend by 10 years a requirement that interest on wildlife restoration funds be allocated to finance certain North American wetlands conservation projects; 10:00 AM, room 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Thursday

• CANCELED - Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs and Federal Management hearing on "Agency Progress in Retrospective Review of Existing Regulations," including testimony from and questioning of executive staff from the Department of Interior, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Agriculture; 9:00 AM, room 342, Dirksen Senate Office Building.

New USGS On-Line Water Quality Tool Reports on Mississippi River Basin - Relative Nutrient Loading from Tributaries

The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program  has launched a new online graphical data tool to provide data on national ambient water-quality conditions by annually summarizing nutrient and sediment concentrations and loads, along with flow information for 106 river and stream sites across the country, including in the Mississippi River Basin. NAWQA Program Chief William Wilber reports that the tool can be used to:

• compare recent water-quality conditions to long-term conditions (1993-2013) at each site,
• download water-quality data sets (streamflow, concentrations, and loads), and
• evaluate nutrient loading to coastal areas and large tributaries throughout the Mississippi River Basin.

Graphical summaries are available for river and stream sites monitored as part of the USGS National Water-Quality Network for Streams and Rivers, which includes sites in the NAWQA Program, the National Stream-Quality Accounting Network, the Cooperative Water Program, and the National Water-Quality Monitoring Council National Monitoring Network.

The monitoring information will be updated annually to provide water resource managers with timely information to track how loading and concentrations change over time in response to nutrient reduction actions.  USGS plans to incorporate pesticide data into future updates.

Persons should contact William Wilber (telephone: (703) 648-6878; email: wgwilber@usgs.gov) with questions or feedback regarding the online tool or any other components of the NAWQA Program.

Mississippi River Basin Water Resource Weekly News

~Most of the Water News - None of the Spin~

This Week and Next
On Tuesday, the U.S. House passed H.R. 427, the "Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act" by a vote of 243 – 165. Under the REINS Act, federal agencies would be required to submit major rules with an annual economic

AP photo

impact of $100 million or greater to Congress for approval. Two Democrats, Reps. Colin Peterson (MN) and Henry Cuellar (TX), joined a unanimous Republican block in voting for the bill's passage. The legislation now goes to the Senate. This marks the third time in four years that the House has passed the REINS Act. This time, however, the bill could also see Senate action, since that chamber is now controlled by Republicans. The White House has threatened to veto the bill, stating, "there is no justification for such an unprecedented requirement."

House members began their summer recess (running through September 7) a day early, following Wednesday evening votes.  And while the Senate is scheduled to be in session through August 7, expect to see Senators also push to leave town earlier than that, after they consider next week a bill to defund Planned Parenthood and officially punt a cybersecurity bill until September. The House exodus also means that there are only two Senate committee hearings currently scheduled for next week that relate to Mississippi River Basin natural resources, and you can find those detailed here.

Noteworthy @UpperMiss Twitter Postings for the Week

Water Quality -

• Interior Department's proposed stream protection rule published in Monday's Federal Register,

  

  Source: USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program

  kicking off a 60-day comment period http://1.usa.gov/1RZ0UdC. Public hearings on the proposal will be held starting in September in Charleston, West Virginia; Denver, Colorado; Lexington, Kentucky; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri.
• Republican lawmakers ask Interior Department to extend comment period for newly proposed stream protection rule http://ow.ly/QgZ1j
• USGS National Water-Quality Assessment Program's new annual web-based reporting system of stream and river water quality is now on-line http://ow.ly/Qk8aF (see the "Mississippi River Basin - Relative Nutrient Loading from Tributaries" section here: http://ow.ly/Qk8GN)
• Des Moines Water Works reports spending $1.5 million since December to remove nitrogen largely from agricultural operations from source waters in order to meet  drinking water standards http://bit.ly/1D67OXv
• US EPA finalizes its disapproval of Louisiana’s 2014 decisions not to list 43 water quality limited water body segments to the 2014 Louisiana Section 303(d) list of impaired waters http://ow.ly/QdYac
• Federal judge in Louisiana reopens litigation and sets brief filing timetable on whether U.S. EPA must set water quality standards for the Gulf of Mexico "dead zone" http://ow.ly/Q99Kz
• Illinois releases Final State Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy to reduce pollution loading to Illinois waters and the Gulf of Mexico http://ow.ly/Q8Wi8
• EPA revises, re-issues draft water quality criteria for protecting aquatic life from adverse effects of selenium http://ow.ly/Q8sck (see related story below)
• EPA and environmental groups remain at odds over selenium water quality standards http://ow.ly/Qc154
• Elimination of mercury monitoring program means Louisiana lacks fresh information about contaminated waters http://ow.ly/Q7PrW
• Immigrants in the Midwest - who rely heavily on fish for their diets - often don't realize the threat posed by mercury contamination http://ow.ly/Qegf9
• In Minnesota farm country, tainted water is 'just the way it is' http://ow.ly/PJYqt
• MPR News: Minnesota rain gardens go big to fight pollution, reuse water http://ow.ly/Q7QWz
• North Dakota Departments of Health and Agriculture issue blue-green algae advisory http://ow.ly/Q8IGW
• "Brain-eating" Naegleria fowleri amoeba has been found in tap water in St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana http://ow.ly/Q8S1O
• U.S. health officials confirm presence of 'brain-eating' amoeba in water supply of several communities near New Orleans http://ow.ly/QkcGq
• Ohio EPA issues new guidelines for warning residents of toxins from algae in drinking water http://ow.ly/QbKpO
• Environmental groups ask federal appeals courts to force U.S. EPA to respond to petitions asking the agency to revoke West Virginia's and Kentucky's Clean Water Act permitting authority http://ow.ly/Q8SPQ
• Kentucky man wants to sue state over pollution from mountaintop removal mining sites http://ow.ly/QkdQl

Waters of the United States Rule

• Conservation groups file lawsuit challenging industry exemptions in “waters of the United States” rule; press release: http://ow.ly/Q7SYl and link to petition: http://ow.ly/Q7T5g
• Federal judicial panel consolidates 12 lawsuits challenging EPA's Clean Water Rule in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit http://ow.ly/QhCjH
• 31 states request that U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers delay “Waters of the US” rule effective date http://ow.ly/Qk6e1
• Op-ed: Obama Administration Clean Water Rule follows Sen. Howard H. Baker's vision of stewardship http://ow.ly/Q86jZ
• U.S. EPA and Army Corps of Engineers will not issue new guidance to their regional offices to help implement new Clean Water Rule http://ow.ly/Qk3aP
• Army Corps of Engineers experts disagreed with Administration on scope of, basis for waters of the U.S rule http://ow.ly/QaTBz
• U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy: EPA addressed concerns raised by the Army Corps of Engineers about administration's water rule http://ow.ly/QgUjz
• House Oversight Committee looks into allegations that EPA and Army Corps disagreed over development of clean water rule http://ow.ly/Qkd9A
• Chair of Senate EPW Committee says that Army Corps memos support case against waters of the U.S. rule http://ow.ly/QaO4O (link to related Sen. Inhofe letter here: http://ow.ly/QaNOd) (see related Agri-Pulse story, below)
• Internal memos that the Army Corps of Engineers turned over to a Senate committee said to undermine WOTUS rule http://ow.ly/Qe9L9
• Montana Standard op-ed by Montana Trout Unlimited: "EPA regs clarify Clean Water Act" http://ow.ly/Qe3VX

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

• Kansas farmers are confronting the reality that the famed Ogallala Aquifer could soon run dry
  
  http://ow.ly/QaJRZ
• Nebraska's unique system for managing its groundwater is catching the eye of other states that are running dry http://ow.ly/QaPNl
• Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) urges EPA to veto St. Johns Bayou-New Madrid Floodway project along Mississippi River http://ow.ly/QihFa (letter here: http://ow.ly/Qi8yW and press release here: http://ow.ly/QicSp)
• U.S. Geological Survey analyzes wetlands in the North Dakota section of the Prairie Pothole Region in "Land use and wetland drainage affect water levels and dynamics of remaining wetlands" http://ow.ly/Q98D4
• First survey of U.S. fracking well depths shows shallow fracking is more widespread than previously thought, at the same depth of known water sources http://ow.ly/Q7Zlq
• GAO reports on Army Corps of Engineers' efforts to assess the impact of extreme weather events http://ow.ly/Q8Jby
• How would downstream Mississippi River Basin communities and ecosystems in southeastern Wisconsin and northeast Illinois fare if Waukesha switches to Lake Michigan water? http://ow.ly/QeJRW
• Oklahoma to use $131,575 USEPA grant to produce a wetlands status report and implement a wetlands monitoring program http://ow.ly/QgXvO

Agriculture -

• USDA's NRCS is proposing to update some of the National Handbook of Conservation

  

  Hops

  Practices; public has until August 20 to comment http://ow.ly/Qb30F
• Op-ed: "Farm and Food: Water problems flow down to Secretary Vilsack" http://ow.ly/Q82aX
• As craft beer industry grows, Iowa farmers are noticing, and some are switching acres from corn and soy to hops http://ow.ly/QaQ1d
• Net incomes for Midwest grain farms are sinking to some of their lowest levels ever; data summary and ramifications http://ow.ly/Qezep
• USDA-NRCS makes fiscal year 2014 updates to its Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act Interactive Data Viewer available online http://ow.ly/PKxgH
• USDA to survey 24,000 farmers on conservation practices in first phase of National Resources Inventory-Conservation Effects Assessment Project http://ow.ly/Q8H4Q
• USDA "Innovation Challenge" to explore how climate change impacts US food system, with goal of achieving better food resiliency http://ow.ly/Q8Kow
• Iowa Farmers Look to Conservation, Voluntary Practices as Water Lawsuit Progresses http://ow.ly/Q96yR
• American Farm Bureau Federation study: “seemingly small irritations” of rail inefficiencies cut farmers’ 2014 profits http://ow.ly/QgSd3
• Illinois Department of Agriculture seeks  research, education, and on-farm demonstration project proposals through Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program http://ow.ly/QgWYh

Climate and Weather -

• US drought update: local storms over past week mitigated dry soil conditions in west central Minnesota, eastern South Dakota, and northwest Iowa http://ow.ly/wmTdv
• NOAA Climate Prediction Center monthly drought outlook for August (to be published on Friday afternoon) http://ow.ly/q3yAx

Biodiversity, Wildlife and Invasives -

• Conservationists: Endangered Species Act under increased attack by lawmakers who aim to

  

  Click to enlarge

  restrict wildlife protection http://ow.ly/Q7Rlk
• States and the federal government are searching for ways to protect managed bees and their wild counterparts http://ow.ly/QeA9D (see related map to right)
• South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission will decide whether to lift bald eagle state endangered species protections in August http://ow.ly/QbJO8
• Zebra mussels found attached to boat exiting Belle Fourche Reservoir in western South Dakota (Missouri River Basin) http://ow.ly/Qk6L4
• Birds disappearing from Metairie canal (Louisiana), Humane Society says http://ow.ly/Q7RVz
• Work on a pollinator protection plan for Wisconsin will begin with a stakeholder meeting http://ow.ly/Q8HQz
• DNR's scientific and natural areas give visitors a glimpse of what Minnesota looked like before European settlement http://ow.ly/Q97of
• Researchers: mountain lions are recolonizing the Midwest a century after hunting and prey shortages limited their range http://ow.ly/Q99lu
• Demand for conservation seed, both native and non-native, is growing, but sources are limited http://ow.ly/QbJbf
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources updates to Fish, Wildlife and Habitat Management and Wildlife Action plans open for public comment http://ow.ly/Qfl4M

In the Cities -

• Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is still experiencing related damage http://ow.ly/Qe2WF
• St. Croix County set to buy 53.29 acres of undeveloped land along St. Croix River in St. Joseph  for natural, low-impact recreation http://ow.ly/QeIU5

In the States-

• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will consider a special August legislative session to provide disaster relief to a premier walleye fishing lake's resorts if the walleye season closes early http://ow.ly/QdWEf
• Wisconsin's budget bill contains a "grab bag of anti-conservation policy" http://ow.ly/PK5Tj
• Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is reorganizing, with some water regulation functions transferred to a "one-stop shop for business assistance" unit http://ow.ly/QecEf
• After seven months, the legislative sausage-making process to put in place a new Illinois state budget has hit a wall http://ow.ly/Q9bI3
• Pennsylvania budget negotiators find a “better understanding” of differences, but no final product http://ow.ly/Q8HAW
• Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback to issue $62.6 million in budget cuts and fund transfers to shore up state cash reserves http://ow.ly/QkcaN
• Kansas' cash balance could be even smaller next June than lawmakers realized when they approved a tax plan in June http://ow.ly/Q94T6
• North Dakota corporate farming measure likely headed to ballot in 2016 http://ow.ly/PJXib
• In the Arkansas state legislature, more farmers, fewer lawyers making laws http://ow.ly/Q8qNn

Gulf Coastal Region-

• Louisiana, federal government argue over who pays for Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet
  
  restoration in court filings http://ow.ly/QaIGw
• "Epic" West Coast port congestion steers Asian ships and cargo to Gulf and East coast ports http://ow.ly/PKh7h
• Desperate $68 billion plan to save Louisiana, the sinking state, from going under http://ow.ly/Q90SZ
• New method may help engineers determine coastal impact of dams and levees http://ow.ly/Q919U
• Ecosystem Services Viewer captures value of three Gulf of Mexico habitats: salt marsh, mangroves, and oyster reefs http://ow.ly/Q93Wu
• Louisiana: BP Given 30 days to pay $1 Billion in settlements to local governments across the Gulf Coast http://ow.ly/QaIdH
• Trio of sea-level rise, storm surge and heavy rainfall exposes coastal cities to potentially catastrophic flooding http://ow.ly/QaSf2 (study: http://ow.ly/QaShu)
• Louisiana state Senate committees discuss plans for spending $8.9 billion from BP oil spill http://ow.ly/QaSMn
• Louisiana governor’s new coastal director warns against diverting coastal restoration funds to other uses http://ow.ly/QdRoX

Resource Development -

• Officials from Nebraska and Iowa warn cuts to the Renewable Fuels Standard will harm their states' economies http://ow.ly/Q80cv
• Governors of Iowa and Missouri urge U.S. EPA to set robust renewable fuel targets http://ow.ly/QfkaV
• Multi-state group of opponents seeks to block crude oil pipeline from North Dakota to as far as the Gulf coast http://ow.ly/Q8M1s
• For Illinois farmers, the impacts from underground coal mining can last for decades http://ow.ly/Q9cq9
• Judge sets October 19 trial date for Keystone pipeline eminent domain challenge in Nebraska http://ow.ly/QbcPp
• Three Iowa landowners sue Iowa Utilities Board over agency's granting eminent domain for building proposed Bakken crude oil pipeline http://ow.ly/QdXkG
• Opposing sides in the debate over Keystone XL oil pipeline face off before South Dakota regulatory panel http://ow.ly/Qbdlh
• NY Times: Can Montana’s Smith River survive a nearby copper mine? http://ow.ly/QbDZL
• National Wildlife Federation files notice of intent to sue U.S. Department of Transportation over oil pipeline oversight failures and their impacts on surface waters http://ow.ly/QbZN5

Federal Budget (You can follow the status of all of the fiscal year 2016 appropriation bills on this Congress.gov web page) -

• Senate Democrats are refusing to allow votes on spending bills that do not lift the budget caps under sequestration http://ow.ly/Q8vkG
• Treasury Secretary Jack Lew: Lawmakers will likely have at least until the end of October to raise the nation’s borrowing limit http://ow.ly/QgTpW

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)

• Upper Mississippi River Basin Association posts its August 4-5, meeting packets,

  

  Click to enlarge

  including agendas and background materials; Onalaska/La Crosse, Wisconsin http://ow.ly/Q9286
• Upper Mississippi River Floodplain Forest Workshop, Sept 15-17, Holiday Inn - Dubuque, Iowa. Register here: http://ow.ly/QbxxH (agenda to the right)
• Mississippi River Commission public meetings, 9 AM CT, August 14-21, on board MISSISSIPPI V at City Front, Cape Girardeau, Missouri (August 14), Mud Island Landing, Memphis, Tennessee (August 17),  Lake Village, Arkansas (August 19),  City Dock above the USS Kidd in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (August 21) http://ow.ly/Q8xNN
• Duquesne University Presidential Conference on the Integrity of Creation: Climate Change, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, Pittsburgh, PA http://ow.ly/QaKO4
• Wisconsin Wetlands Association 21st Annual Wetland Science Conference, February 23-25, 2016, Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin http://ow.ly/QfrJf
• Save the dates: National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration, April 18-22, 2016, Coral Springs, FL http://ow.ly/QbsAA

e-Newsletters, Publications, Journals, Multimedia  -

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Waterfront Bulletin for July 2015 http://ow.ly/PJY31
• Montana Watershed Coordination Council's July 24 "Watershed News" http://ow.ly/Q8I7o
• Lower Mississippi River Dispatch No. 298, July 24 http://ow.ly/Q8MwY
• Green Lands Blue Waters, July 23 update on Continuous Living Cover on Mississippi River Basin agricultural land http://ow.ly/Q8Ouq
• St. Croix River Association July e-newsletter http://ow.ly/Q8Pgq
• Gulf Restoration Network's July 23 e-newsletter http://ow.ly/Q8PI9
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Watershed Connections - July 2015 http://ow.ly/Q95iC
• 1 Mississippi July Newsletter: "Highway to the Dead Zone (no more?)" http://ow.ly/Q9arn
• Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy's July 21 http://ow.ly/Q9aWk and July 30 http://ow.ly/Qk78i TUWaterWays e-newsletter
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Feedlot NPDES News - July 27 http://ow.ly/QbrNU

Other news-

• Report: Over half of Land and Water Conservation Fund spending over past four years has
  
  supported local and state projects, not acquisition of new federal lands http://ow.ly/QaOSf
• Beloved Iowa farm headed for auction http://ow.ly/Q81G2
• 15% of U.S. adults (24% in rural areas) do not use Internet, according to Pew Research Center analysis of survey data http://ow.ly/QeaIx
• H.R. 427, the "Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act" passed by the House on July 28 by a vote of 243 – 165 http://ow.ly/QdROt
• Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus introduces bill reauthorizing hunting and angling-friendly programs, including North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Federal Land Transaction Facilitation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation http://ow.ly/Q8NwQ
• Paddle out to The Floating Library: You won't need a library card to visit this one-of-a-kind spot in Minnesota, but you will need a boat http://ow.ly/Q977G
• Position: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Natural Resource Social Science Lab, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN http://ow.ly/Q9drT
• Republicans sound alarm about deluge of "midnight regulations" that could be pushed through in waning days of Obama administration http://ow.ly/Q9eib
• Justice Department's environment division announces new position to foster better relationships with state and local governments http://ow.ly/Q9fm5
• NOAA releases Chemical Aquatic Fate and Effects (CAFE) database, estimates  fate and effects of thousands of chemicals, oils, and dispersants http://ow.ly/QgYnN
• Canoe-sharing service could connect points within 72-mile-long Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in 2016 http://ow.ly/Qi81Z

Politics and People-

• Illinois state Sen. Tom Cullerton drops bid for Illinois’ open 8th District U.S. House seat http://ow.ly/Qk0LI
• U.S. Water Alliance names Radhika Fox, the head of a water infrastructure investment campaign, as new president http://ow.ly/Q98Wi
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: How Pennsylvania's gas industry gained influence with the Corbett administration http://ow.ly/QaRNj
• Four state Farm Bureau presidents have expressed interest in taking over as the next leader of the national office http://ow.ly/PKglF
• Jim Stump, longtime professor at Bethel College, Indiana, resigns "because God said otherwise” on the topic of evolution http://ow.ly/Q7Nc2

Your Moment of Zen -

What We Learned This Week - "And that's the way it is"

The House sought to "rein in" the Obama administration's regulatory machine by passing a new  bill that the White House doesn't like.  EPA revised and re-issued draft water quality criteria for protecting aquatic life from the adverse effects of selenium, but environmental groups still aren't enamoured with it.  The Interior Department officially kicked off a 60-day comment period on its proposed stream protection rule, which the coal industry casts as threat to dwindling jobs.  In Minnesota farm country, tainted water is "just the way it is."  Illinois Senator Dick Durbin urged the EPA to veto the controversial St. Johns Bayou-New Madrid Floodway project along the Mississippi River in Missouri.  The EPA made official its disapproval of a Louisiana decision last year not to list 43 water quality-impaired water bodies as impaired.  Army Corps of Engineers experts disagreed with the Obama administration on the scope of and basis for the new waters of the U.S rule, and the EPA said that it addressed the Army Corps' concerns. The Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee used Army Corps' memos expressing those concerns to attack the basis for the clean water rule.  Kansas farmers are beginning to face the harsh reality that the overused Ogallala Aquifer will someday run dry, and neighboring Nebraska uses a groundwater management approach that might help.  After being "missing in action" for more than a century, mountain lions are recolonizing the Midwest.  Also missing in action: Illinois and Pennsylvania state budgets for the fiscal year that began on July 1.  Crude oil pipeline eminent domain challenges took center stage in Nebraska and Iowa. And last but not least, Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources is reorganizing, in part to appease a Republican-controlled state Legislature.