tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55099924948098100672024-02-20T01:01:07.255-06:00Big Muddy Newsa Missouri River News Feed hosted by Missouri River ReliefMissouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-66099928729489466912019-01-17T21:41:00.003-06:002019-01-19T11:10:09.725-06:00“The Missouri River. Its habits and eccentricities described by a personal friend.”<i>This is one of the most quoted essays about the old, natural Missouri River there is out there. Just about every book or article that refers to the natural historic river uses at least one quote from this article. But everywhere I looked, in old books and compilations or new websites, I could never find the whole piece. </i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>After searching around, I found this entry in a Kansas City Public Library archive web posting. I sent them a request for a print of the article along with a few bucks for printing and postage. </i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>Then a photocopy of this article arrived in the mail. </i><br />
<i><br /></i> <i>I typed it up for you. - steve</i><br />
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<br />
<h2>
“The Missouri River. Its habits and eccentricities described by a personal friend.”</h2>
<h3>
By George Fitch</h3>
<h4>
American Magazine (63:6), April 1907</h4>
There are rivers of all lengths and sizes and of all degrees of wetness. There are rivers with all sorts of peculiarities and with widely varying claims to fame. But there is only one river with a personality, habits, dissipations, a sense of humor and a woman’s caprice; a river that goes traveling sidewise, that interferes in politics, rearranges geography and dabbles in real estate; a river that plays hide and seek with you today and tomorrow follows you around like a pet dog with a dynamite cracker tied to its tail. That river is the Missouri.<br />
<br />
The Missouri River was located in the United States at last reports. It rises in the southwestern part of Montana and tumbles, slides, meanders,, sidesteps and plays leapfrog for forty-two hundred miles to the Gulf of Mexico. There are people who maintain that the Missouri flows into the Mississippi and becomes absorbed by that noble stream just above St. Louis. I suppose these same people, if they had a friend who had met a lion in Central Africa and had been merged into the hungry beast, would say, with tears in their eyes, that he had come to his death by swallowing the lion. There would be just as much reason in the one remark as in the other.<br />
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There isn’t any Mississippi left to view after it meets the Missouri. The Mississippi is a beautiful, majestic stream which minds its own business and flows placidly along the course laid out for it by nature ages ago. It is as stable as a brick house. You can always count on finding the Mississippi just where you left it last year. But the Mississippi-Missouri is a tawny, restless, brawling flood. It cuts corners, runs around at nights, fills itself with snags and traveling sandbars, lunches on levees, and swallows islands and small villages for dessert. This description fits the Missouri to a T, just as the description of the man and the lion who formed a combination fits the lion and hasn’t any likeness to a man.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV27b5FjupkJL6WK3O1WdmI81ow4G4lWLHGUjVvYEdkGLLRGmBaXHrM_cjB3F2UwyaQ2s1XbNW9RXqdLGiM-tgFycDMGeJfxqqMBrGwUay2_0NrX3e4_FnvgzQ6Y8HClLXSGexm1lcCB_Z/s1600/karl-bodmer-mouth-of-Fox-River2-620x420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="620" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV27b5FjupkJL6WK3O1WdmI81ow4G4lWLHGUjVvYEdkGLLRGmBaXHrM_cjB3F2UwyaQ2s1XbNW9RXqdLGiM-tgFycDMGeJfxqqMBrGwUay2_0NrX3e4_FnvgzQ6Y8HClLXSGexm1lcCB_Z/s400/karl-bodmer-mouth-of-Fox-River2-620x420.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German painter Karl Bodmer was a passenger on <i>The Yellowstone</i>, one of the first steamboats to ply the upper Missouri River. He captured moments like this, where the Yellowstone meandered its way through a forest of snags in a Missouri River Chute at the mouth of the Fox River. </td></tr>
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It is a perpetual dissatisfaction with its bed that is the greatest peculiarity of the Missouri. It is harder to suit in the matter of beds than a traveling man. Time after time it has gotten out of its bed in the middle of the night, with no apparent provocation, and has hunted up a new bed, all littered with forests, cornfields, brick houses, railroad ties and telegraph poles. It has flopped into this prickly mess with a gurgle of content and has flowed along, placidly for years, gradually assimilating the foreign substances and wearing down the bumps in its alluvial mattress. Then it has suddenly taken a fancy to its old bed, which by this time has been filled with suburban architecture, and back it has gone with a whoop and a rush, as happy as if it had really found something worthwhile.<br />
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Quite naturally, this makes life along the Missouri a little bit uncertain. Ask the citizen of a Missouri River town on which side of the river he lives, and he will look worried and will say: “On the east side when I came away.” Then, he will go home to look the matter up and, like as not, will find the river on the other side of his humble home and a government steamboat pulling snags out of this erstwhile cabbage patch.<br />
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It makes farming as fascinating as gambling too. You never know whether you are going to harvest corn or catfish. The farmer may go blithley forth of a morning with a twine binder to cut his wheat only to come back at noon for a trot line, his wheat having gone down the river the night before.<br />
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These facts lead us naturally to the subject of the Missouri’s appetite. It is the hungriest river ever created. It is eating all the time, eating yellow clay banks and cornfields, eighty acres at a mouthful; winding up its banquet with a truck garden and picking its teeth with the timbers of a big red barn. Its yearly menu is ten thousand acres of good, rich farming land, several miles of railroad, a few hundred houses, a forest or two and uncounted miles of sandbars.<br />
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This sort of thing makes the Missouri valley farmer philosophical in the extreme. The river may take away half his farm this year, but he feels sure that next year it will give him the whole farm of the fellow above him. But he must not be too certain. At this point the law steps in and does a more remarkable thing than the river itself may hope to accomplish. It decrees that so long as there is a single yard of an owner’s land left ---nay, even so long as there is a strip wide enough to balance a calf upon, he is entitled to all the land that the river may deposit in front of it. But when that last yard is eaten up, even though the river may repent and replace the farm in as good order as when it took it, the land belongs to the owner of the land behind it. There is no way of getting around this decision. All the despoiled owner can do is to buy the farm back the farm back of his erstwhile farm and wait patiently for the river to eat up to his land. Then, if it recedes, he may not only get his old farm back, but the one between his old one and his new one and possibly a few more for good measure. Roulette is child’s play compared with it.<br />
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This thing happened in Kansas City not many years ago. A party of men owned a strip of land along the Missouri River bank. It was not handsome land, but it was valuable for factory purposes. They were offered portly prices for it, but held on. One day they noticed that the strip was getting emaciated. They held a hurried diagnosis with a surveyor’s tape and found that half of it had wasted away. The next year half of the remainder had gone.<br />
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The men wanted to sell then, but the market seemed remarkably sluggish. The next year the river ate so vigorously that only a tiny strip about as wide as a piece of baby ribbon was left. The men were much depressed.<br />
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Suddenly the land began to increase. The Missouri had chosen the late manufacturing spot for a place to deposit a fine 160 acre farm upon which it had foreclosed up the river. Inside of six months that strip of land contained 200 acres. The men were jubilant, but still they would not sell. They wanted another 100 acres, they said. They strolled along the bank each day and urged the river, in proprietary tones, to build faster.<br />
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Then the river changed its mind once more and not only wiped out the extra 100 acres but the original 100 acres, every foot of it. The next year it built up 500 acres in the same spot, but they all belonged to the man who owned the groud behind the original plot. They have stayed there ever since ---that is, up to last reports. For high financing and property juggling the Missouri River makes a crooked lawyer look like a child I hate to think what it would do for a man if it had a personal friendship for him.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBWFOKroRbudj5rhC_SrHBTaw7SNHYbRfRIB9ne1nz3IwCNbIJRUCQc8caboiTohbS38n_3FBvEF7zW2AqE3fGtZZjsBjbSh7zx1qS-iS78c496aygwXvP6PQo8DHMT7ziQgTbFQkDe9A/s1600/new+haven+1903+flood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBWFOKroRbudj5rhC_SrHBTaw7SNHYbRfRIB9ne1nz3IwCNbIJRUCQc8caboiTohbS38n_3FBvEF7zW2AqE3fGtZZjsBjbSh7zx1qS-iS78c496aygwXvP6PQo8DHMT7ziQgTbFQkDe9A/s400/new+haven+1903+flood.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sometimes you'd have to boat into the general store in New Haven.<br />
photo courtesy of the New Haven Schoolhouse Museum.<br />
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The Missouri is the original loop-the-loop artist. The river for most of its length flows in giant loops with which it is forever performing circus marvels, leaping nimbly from one loop to another in a single night. It is these loops which are the cause of such hideous confusion in the boundary affairs of Nebraska and Iowa. The river, loops and all, is supposed to do duty as a boundary line between the two States. A lot of thoughtless legislators, years ago, made the grave mistake of nailing down the boundary line, making it immovable, where the river happened to be at the time.<br />
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Now the loops of the Missouri are about as fixed and immovable as a two-year-old colt. A dozen times in a decade the river goes tearing across some narrow neck of land, leaving a 30 mile loop of its old course to dry up and become farming country or city lots with that foolish boundary line still anchored firmly in its midst. The result is that the State boundary line to-day is wherever the river isn’t. Little tongues, scallops and slivers of Iowa stick across the river into Nebraska in a score of places, and little wedges,, triangles and promontories of Nebraska can be found all over the western edge of Iowa. Each of these invaders on both sides marks the location of a loop of the river fifty years ago. The river itself has retired, leaving the boundary line behind it.<br />
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The result is confusion immeasurable. You may live on the east side of the river and yet be in Nebraska. You may live on the west side, and still be under the control of a party boss in Iowa, cut off from his benign influence by a foaming, unbridged river. You may live on the south side of the river, but according to the law you may be either on the east side in Nebraska or on the west side in Iowa, or squarely in the middle of the stream, yelling for help. It’s enough to make a man lose his faith in geography.<br />
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Omaha, Neb., and Council Bluffs, Ia., are separated from each other by the river and three miles of bottom land. Yet, up in the north part of Omaha, there is a semicircular slice of Council Bluffs entirely surrounded by Omaha. The river once extended up there in a huge loop and Council Bluffs built into the loop. Then the river cut across the neck of the loop and transferred that ward of Council Bluffs to the Nebraska side. It is now filled with Omaha factories and pleasure resorts which Council Bluffs cheerfully works into its census returns, thus increasing the sisterly love which exists between the two cities.<br />
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On the Iowa side of the river a few miles away the Burlington railroad runs up the valley into Council Bluffs. Years ago the river began to show a liking for the railroad. It edged up closer and closer and finally swallowed a few rods of it. The company took the hint and moved back half a mile. The river followed after like an affectionate Newfoundland pup.<br />
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The company attempted dissuasionary measures. It carted a hundred trainloads of stone to the river bank and dropped them in. The river smacked its lips and swallowed the stone along with another acre of land for good measure. A thousand loads were dumped in. Not a trace of stone could be found the next day. Then the railroad company drove immense piles deep into the ground and anchored them with steel chains, big enough to hold a battleship in leash. The river didn’t waste time with the bulwark, but just swallowed the whole field in which it was located and leaped joyfully on toward the railroad track.<br />
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Then the railroad company gave up and moved back among the foothills. After this was done, the Missouri moved too. It went over to the other side of the valley, leaving another of its spectacular loops which today is beautiful Lake Manawa, one of the finest pleasure spots in the Central West. Lone fishermen, angling for bass in its placid waters, frequently hook sections of iron rails and chains by mistake and play them for several minutes in a vain attempt to bring them to the gaff.<br />
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It is estimated that in the last one hundred years the Missouri has shortened itself over two thousand miles by cutting out these great loops. This sounds interesting. It sounds as if the river had almost cut itself out altogether ---that Helena, Montana, ought, by this time, to be pretty close to Kansas City. As a matter of fact, however, for every loop that the river cuts out it makes another of equal size on somebody’s farm land where it isn’t needed. So there is no danger that the Missouri’s mouth will ever swallow its head.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIXDT6lPTN5rp9iZsU46Q14x0yC2jmwH8Sey8ZwxjcIN7visv-gbOa2jzRatJhZH3Qnfv3XWVqwZssyOtmCFy8zU8JHUzufHHzZMxm1Tn9kEgqlnqzZRd486nEBOVI_z9Zq8LaEGixz5Q/s1600/CORN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="640" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNIXDT6lPTN5rp9iZsU46Q14x0yC2jmwH8Sey8ZwxjcIN7visv-gbOa2jzRatJhZH3Qnfv3XWVqwZssyOtmCFy8zU8JHUzufHHzZMxm1Tn9kEgqlnqzZRd486nEBOVI_z9Zq8LaEGixz5Q/s400/CORN.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corn. From the 1993 Flood. Source Unknown. </td></tr>
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Because the river is always busy dissolving farms and shifting sand bars it is the muddiest stream in the world. It is so thick that it cracks, sometimes, in working its way around the bends. At certain seasons of the year there is scarcely enough water to keep the mud moist, and it has to be drunk with a fork. Throw a man into the Missouri and he will not often drown. It is more likely that he will break his leg. In every glass of good, ripe Missouri River water there is at least a peck of sediment. Old residents claim to have made grindstones in the early days by running Missouri River through a big pipe and cutting it into flat disks with handsaws as it came out.<br />
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In the old days the Missouri teemed with steamboats. They plied the river in flocks, schools and droves, doing an enormous business and making such profits that the owner paid for his boat in two trips and watched it sink on the third trip, $25,000 ahead. Of course there were awkward little circumstances occasionally. Sometimes a boat would have a big passenger list ofr a town and wouldn’t be able to find it – the river having either removed it or run away from it over night. And sometimes the river would sneak away from a fine steamer that had been tied up over night. But, on the whole, the business prospered until the railroads came. Then the steamers vanished. Today the river is as lonely as a school room in vacation. From St. Louis to Sioux City, its tawny bosom is unscarred by a single paddle-wheel except when a government packet noses its way upsteam or the calliope of a venturesome excursion steamer awakes the echoes of the past for a few brief weeks in summer. Occasionally a farmer, plowing his field, runs the point of his plow into the buried pilot house of one of the old fleet of steamers and swears, thought not as fluently as the one-time mate of the steamer. Then he knows that the river once ran where he is plowing and that the proud boat that has driven his plow handle into his ribs once breasted the current where now he raises the lowly potato.<br />
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All these facts have given rise to the statement that the Missouri is no longer navigable. This is a very foolish statement. Of course the Missouri is navigable. The trouble is that those who have tried it have spent too much time trying to change river to conform to the steamboats when they should have been making over the steamboats to conform to the river. The Missouri River steamboat should be shallow, lithe, deep chested and exceedingly strong in the stern wheel. It should be hinged in the middle and should be fitted with a suction dredge so that hen it cannot climb over a sandbar it can assimilate it. The Missouri River steamboat should be able to make use of a channel, but should not have to depend on it. A steamer that cannot, on occasion, climb a steep clay bank, go across a cornfield and corner a river that is trying to get away, has little excuse for trying to navigate the Missouri.<br />
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Scientists tell us that the Missouri’s peculiarities are due to the loose alluvial soil through which it flows --- a soil so soluble that the least flirt of current will dig a hole into the bank which in time widens to a bay, then to a horseshoe curve and finally to a loop thirty miles around. This explanation may be satisfactory to scientists, but it is thin and unpalatable to those who know the river and have sat up nights with it. “Alluvial soil” sounds plausible, but does it explain that mysterious force beneath the freckled and turbulent surface of the river that digs vast wells one hundred feet deep one day and fills them up the next with sandbars for steamboats to run aground on? Does it explain the force that laughs at abutments, fascines, willow mattresses, ripraps, wing dams, stone dams, state lines and cuss words, and that snatches the work of months away in a single night? Does it explain why a river will run ten miles an hour due south over a level sand flat one year and five miles an hour due north not half a mile away the next? Does it explain the thousand mysterious eddies, the turbulence that boils out of the river like an eruption or the giant hand that clutches the fisher boats from below and draws them down? Does it explain what makes the river a mighty flood in South Dakota and a miserable trickle at Omaha? Can it diagnose that Queer, eerie half murmur, half cuckle with which the water goes about its work of destruction? Does it account for the innate deviltry of a stream that will sleep quietly while a railroad builds a million dollar bridge over it and will then move over and flow around one end of the bridge; and then when another million dollar bridge has been built to please it, gets quietly up and moves back to its old channel in perfect content?<br />
<br />
“Alluvial soil” is a pretty fair sort of amateur explanation, but it would grow humpbacked and decrepit trying to carry all the blame of the Missouri’s record. More things than alluvial soil are ailing the Missouri. Blessed be the man who shall first find a way to chain it down and pull its teeth.<br />
<br />Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-62398905048491209842017-04-13T16:48:00.000-05:002017-04-13T16:49:47.272-05:00Missouri River Relief named Missouri River Country Heroes!We were amazed to see the ad below published in the Washington Missourian newspaper when we were in that town for a week of education events, a river clean-up and the sixth <a href="http://www.riverrelief.org/event/washington-river-festival-and-clean-up-2017/" target="_blank"><b>Washington River Festival!</b></a><br />
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We were honored to find out that the <b><a href="http://magnificentmissouri.org/" target="_blank">Magnificent Missouri </a></b>and <b><a href="http://katylandtrust.org/" target="_blank">Katy Land Trust</a></b> organizations, helmed by Dan and Connie Burkhardt, had awarded our volunteers the <b>"Missouri River Country Heroes Award"!</b><br />
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That's a big honor coming from those folks, who are doing so much to drive attention to the Missouri River Valley. From running the Katy Land Trust, which organizes Missouri River events, kickstarting the Missouri River Country economic and conservation initiative, runs the <b><a href="http://katylandtrust.org/peers-store/" target="_blank">Peers Store</a></b> highlighting Missouri River Art and published TWO beautiful books about the lower Missouri River - <b><a href="http://magnificentmissouri.org/missouri-river-country/" target="_blank">"Missouri River Country"</a></b> and <b><a href="http://katylandtrust.org/growing-river-nine-generations-missouri-homepage/" target="_blank">"Growing Up on the River: 9 Generations on the Missouri". </a></b><br />
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To find out more about all of this stuff, drop by the Peers Store right on the Katy Trail near Marthasville. The store is opening for the season this weekend, April 15, for the season with an exhibit of original Bryan Haynes artwork commissioned for the "Growing Up on the River" book. <b><a href="http://www.emissourian.com/features_people/feature_stories/peers-store-opens-for-season-april-with-haynes-exhibit/article_ebc48cff-20dd-5d73-8e4b-a621999ad9f1.html" target="_blank">Check out the Washington Missourian article here. </a></b><br />
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<br />Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-80940237866454148672016-12-21T13:55:00.000-06:002017-03-14T17:28:11.195-05:00Army Corps of Engineers releases massive Missouri River Draft Adaptive Management Plan and EIS for public comment<h4>
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<h4>
<b><i>Deadline for Public Comment Extended to April 24, 2017</i></b></h4>
<h4>
<b>posted by Missouri River Relief - Dec. 21, 2016<br />(updated Feb. 7, 2017)</b></h4>
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a revised management plan and <b><a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?projectID=48574">Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Missouri River Recovery Program</a></b>, intended to help the recovery of three endangered species – the pallid sturgeon, the piping plover and the interior least tern.<br />
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This massive document, which provides alternatives to Missouri River management in order to comply with the Endangered Species Act, was released last week, along with a schedule of public meetings and a public comment period. The proposed plan utilizes Adaptive Management to allow managers to more quickly adopt changes based on what the latest science reveals.<br />
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After petitioning from several stakeholder groups, the USACE has extended the comment period from 70 days to 120 days. <b>The new deadline for public comments will be April 24, 2017. </b><br />
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There will be public meetings throughout the basin in February.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>As we dig into this and get a chance to talk to some experts, we will link to more details on this page.<br />
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<b>Here’s some links for the DEIS download, associated documents and more information as it becomes available – </b><br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/1031426/draft-missouri-river-recovery-management-plan-and-eis-available-for-public-comm/">U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Press Release</a></b> with information on locations and dates of public meetings, locations on public libraries that are storing the DEIS documents and how to submit public comments.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?projectID=48574">Full list of Draft Environmental Impact Statement documents</a></b> and associated science and economic documents (there’s a LOT of them!)</li>
<ul>
<li>To find the Executive Summary and the Proposed Management Alternatives, click the first Document (<a href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=155&projectID=48574&documentID=76681">"Draft Missouri River Recovery Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)"</a>) and select Volume 1. The alternatives are detailed in Chapter 2.9</li>
</ul>
<li>ARTICLE <b>-<a href="http://www.hpj.com/general/coalition-to-protect-the-missouri-river-urges-extension-of-deis/article_06fc360e-89b0-5a8e-8c7e-186e09e8ef2e.html"> "Coalition to Protect the Missouri River urges extension of DEIS comment period"</a></b> - High Plains Journal, Dec, 29, 2016</li>
<li>ARTICLE - <b><a href="http://www.omaha.com/news/iowa/corps-proposes-new-missouri-river-habitat-plan-for-threatened-fish/article_b616a7c9-8390-5db1-8863-4fa4dae81180.html">"Corps proposes new Missouri River habitat plan for threatened fish, birds"</a></b> - Omaha World-Herald, Dec. 26, 2016</li>
<li>Fact Sheets on DEIS issues</li>
<ul>
<li><b><a href="https://riverrelief.box.com/v/MRRMP-DEIS-Factsheet">General Fact Sheet about Draft Management Plan and DEIS</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://riverrelief.box.com/v/MRRMPalternatives" target="_blank">"Relationship between Alternatives and the Adaptive Management Plan"</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://riverrelief.box.com/v/MRRMP-flowoptions" target="_blank">Fact Sheet - Flow Alternatives</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://riverrelief.box.com/v/MMRMP-human" target="_blank">Fact Sheet - Human Considerations</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://riverrelief.box.com/v/MRRMP-sandbar" target="_blank">Fact Sheet - Emergent Sandbar Habitat</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://riverrelief.box.com/v/MRRMP-sandbar" target="_blank">Fact Sheet - Human Considerations</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="https://riverrelief.box.com/v/MRRMP-interception" target="_blank">Fact Sheet - Interception Rearing Complexes</a></b></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<h3 style="font-weight: bold;">
Submit Comments via the Following Methods until April 24, 2017 </h3>
<div>
Input comments<b> <a href="http://parkplanning.nps.gov/MRRMP">online here</a>.</b> (preferred method)<br />
<b><a href="https://riverrelief.box.com/v/public-comment-tips" target="_blank">Here's some tips on submitting public comments. </a></b></div>
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Verbal or written comments at the public meetings (locations and schedule below)</div>
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OR written comments submitted to: </div>
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers </div>
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Omaha District </div>
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ATTN: CENWO-PM-AC - Management Plan Comments </div>
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1616 Capitol Avenue </div>
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Omaha, NE 68102 </div>
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<b>Schedule of Public Meetings</b></h3>
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<i>(find updated schedule <a href="https://moriverrecovery.usace.army.mil//mrrp/f?p=136:70"><b>here</b></a>)</i></div>
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Participants are encouraged to attend one of the following meetings to learn more about the MRRMP-EIS and provide feedback to the USACE. </div>
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All meetings are scheduled from <b>5-8:45 p.m</b>.; the format will consist of an open house from 5–5:45 p.m. followed by a brief presentation and public hearing from 5:45– 8 p.m. Following this, the open house will continue to 8:45 p.m.</div>
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<b>Fort Peck, MT --Tuesday, February 7, 2017 </b></div>
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Fort Peck Interpretive Center</div>
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Yellowstone Road</div>
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Fort Peck, MT 59223</div>
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<b>Bismarck, ND --Wednesday, February 8, 2017 </b></div>
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Bismarck State College-National Energy Center of Excellence (Bavendick Ballroom #415)</div>
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1500 Edwards Avenue</div>
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Bismarck, ND 58506</div>
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<b>Pierre, SD – Thursday, February 9, 2017 </b></div>
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Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center </div>
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Galleria B & C </div>
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920 W. Sioux Avenue</div>
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Pierre, SD 57501 </div>
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<b>Omaha, NE - Tuesday, February 14, 2017 </b></div>
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Thompson Alumni Center – Bootstrapper Hall<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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6705 Dodge Street</div>
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Omaha, NE 68182</div>
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<b>Kansas City, MO - Wednesday, February 15, 2017</b></div>
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Hilton - Kansas City Airport</div>
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Shawnee B</div>
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8801 NW 112th Street</div>
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Kansas City, MO 64153 </div>
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<b>St. Louis, MO - Thursday, February 16, 2017 </b></div>
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Double Tree by Hilton Hotel – Chesterfield, MO</div>
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Ballroom A & B</div>
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16625 Swingley Ridge Road</div>
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Chesterfield, MO 63017</div>
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Notice is further given to all individuals with disabilities that this meeting is being held in a physically accessible place. Please notify cenwo-planning@usace.army.mil at least 48 hours prior to the meeting if you have special needs for which this department will need to make arrangements.</div>
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Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-5300371579650997872015-05-18T09:29:00.002-05:002016-12-27T13:07:55.742-06:00April 17, 2015, diesel spill near confluence of Mississippi and Missouri Rivers<i>Blogmaster's note - This post is a month after this incident, which was reported regionally for about two days after the event. We recently read an account of the spill from Mike Clark of <a href="http://2muddy.com/">Big Muddy Adventures</a> that was so compelling we wanted to make sure it was available on the web for those attempting to research this incident. It gives a very personal, powerful account of the downstream effects of the spill which were not reported in the media. <a href="http://bigmuddynews.blogspot.com/2015/05/april-17-2015-diesel-spill-near.html#clark">Jump to his report here.</a></i><br />
<br />
Some reporting -<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/phillips-estimates-gallons-of-diesel-leaked-near-wood-river-refinery/article_92970b2f-98d3-5275-bff8-5d0264950352.html">"Phillips 66 estimates 25,000 gallons of diesel leaked near Wood River Refinery"</a> April 17, 2015, by Jacob Barker, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. </li>
<li><a href="http://fox2now.com/2015/04/17/diesel-fuel-found-in-mississippi-river-after-pipeline-leak/">"Diesel Fuel found in Mississippi River after pipeline leak"</a> (with video and photos) - April 17, 2015, by Roche Madden, Fox 2 TV</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/102598237">"Part of Mississippi River closed after Phillips 66 pipeline spill"</a> - April 17, 2015, CNBC.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.oilonline.com/news/midstream/us-coast-guard-secures-phillips-66-pipeline-rupture-river-re-opened#sthash.D70wlcrs.dpuf">"US Coast Guard secures Phillips 66 pipeline rupture; river re-opened</a>" - April 20, 2015, by Gene Lockard, Oil Online - an industry news site. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Background - </span></b><br />
On April 17, 2015, the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery reported a 25,000 gallon diesel spill (later estimates state 30,000) from a ruptured underwater pipeline in Cahokia Canal, near Wood River, IL, which flows into the Mississippi River just upstream of its confluence with the Missouri. The leak was stopped and US Coast Guard crews and contractors attempted to contain the spill in Cahokia Creek. It was not completely contained, as Mike Clark's account below shows.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
There are several unique features on the river at this location. Just downstream on the Mississippi is the Chain of Rocks, a natural rock obstruction that used to create a series of rapids above St. Louis. The Corps of Engineers has created a bypass canal for river traffic (the Chain of Rocks Canal) that dives into Illinois before re-entering the Mississippi above St. Louis. This canal contains a lock and dam structure. This means that the stretch of the Mississippi that is bypassed by the canal is a "non-navigable" stretch of the river. The only non-navigable main stream reach on the river.<br />
<br />
The St. Louis city drinking water plant intake is located on the Missouri side of the Mississippi just downstream of the Chain of Rocks on this reach. Because of the influence of the Missouri River here, Mo. Dept. of Natural Resources actually considers this water intake as Missouri River water, chemically and physically distinct from "Mississippi" water, despite the fact that it is technically the Mississippi River.<br />
<br />
Also located on this stretch, just downstream but across the river from the drinking water plant, is Mosenthein Island, a wild treasure located in the midst of the St. Louis urban area. This island, reachable only by boat at most river levels, is owned by the Trust for Public Land and remains unmanaged. <a href="http://2muddy.com/">Big Muddy Adventures</a> has been working to clean up massive trash deposits from the island for many years, and Missouri River Relief has helped out a few times. See some photos from <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/8478409@N03/sets/72157651138136988">this year's Confluence Trash Bash here. </a><br />
<br />
Here's an interactive map with some of the sites mentioned above -<br />
<br />
<iframe height="300" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=zGLWubzWl2es.kySHvu3ebuIA" width="400"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
It was here that Mike Clark, during a river cleanup canoe trip with local students, discovered the spill and reported it to the federal Emergency Response Team.<br />
<br />
Read his report below....<br />
<br />
<h3>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" id="clark">Eyewitness account of downstream effects of the spill</a></h3>
<b>by Mike Clark, <a href="http://2muddy.com/">Big Muddy Adventures</a>, April 18, 2015</b><br />
<i>
(NOTE - On May 6, two weeks after the spill, Clark reported no visual traces of oil remaining on Mosenthien Island.)</i><br />
<br />
"Yesterday morning, while paddling across the Mississippi
on an eco adventure with 15 students and staff of Incarnate
Word Academy, we were overcome by the extreme stench of fuel
oil. As we landed on Mosenthein Island preparing to do a
trash bash, we began to see the oil slick rolling in. Another
major oil spill? On the eve of the anniversary of the BP Gulf
disaster? <br />
<br />
I called the US Coast Guard to report it and they
referred me to the National Response Center for such
disasters. At the end of my filing of the report while the
overwhelming fumes and the horrible sight began to give me a
headache, I asked if they had already received a report of
this from upstream. They put me on hold to check, and then
came back with a definitive "no." This was at 11:05 AM. <br />
<br />
An
hour later, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources
called me to confirm and asked my location. I had not
contacted the MO DNR. I gave them exact description including
river mileage and proximity to the St. Louis Water intake and
treatment plant at Chain of Rocks. Yes this oil spill is in
the reach of our precious water supply.<br />
<br />
"At 2:30 PM we returned to our take out having still seen
no response except for a helicopter fly over, most likely US
Coast Guard. After some thought and conversation with my
friend and river guide, Greg Poleski , I was coaxed into
calling the news, KMOV and the Post Dispatch. After reading
the article, I am extremely concerned that either there is a
lack of factual reporting, if not some form of a cover up to
the size and scope of the disaster, or there is a grave error
in their assessment.<br />
<br />
"For the record, we took pictures and collected water
samplings with oil obviously in it. We watched over 200
pelicans seek refuge on a wing dike and sand bar unwilling it
seems to enter the water with its oily sheen. We paddled down
the Mosenthein Chute where the stench and the visual of the
slick continued to grow. The immature bald eagle who nests on
the island with his parents flew circles overhead. The oil
starting to collect on the sand and mud of the bank with the
signs of game trails and tracks coming from the island to the
water edge to drink. <br />
<br />
Obviously, the deer, coyote, raccoons,
eagles, herons, etc... are in trouble on Mosey. So are we.
This is a refuge. This island survives under the laws of
nature. An oil spill is way, way outside of those laws. But
not our laws regarding the protection against such
corporations and people who make so much money and have become
adept at the cover up, the negotiation, the refusal to accept
any claim of guilt.<br />
<br />
"Final thought. For fifteen years, I have been paddling
this amazing reach, the only 11 non-commercially navigable
river miles of the Mississippi, with two pristine islands and
most of its banks in the public trust. For 12 years, I have
been guiding this reach, and almost always, someone asks "what
is that?" as we come into the Confluence and look upstream on
our beloved Mississippi River with the refinery a glaring
presence on the Illinois side, I mention that it is one of our
nation's largest refineries and it sits in what has always
been the American Bottoms. And it has been a never ending
concern to me because I do not believe, despite all of the
assurances, that this refinery would not someday, have an
"accident" and this reach will be poisoned, just as Valdez,
and the Gulf Coast, and the pipelines all across this country
have proven. <br />
<br />
Today, we are witnesses to this. It saddens me
greatly. But moreover, it angers me, that we are not rushing
in to do whatever we can to fully contain, and then begin
whatever can be done for a clean up. It appalls me that the
news organizations have buried this from front page, and in
fact have simply reported what they have received as a press
release.<br />
<br />
"Who owns the water? Who are River Citizens? Will we
all wake up to the glaring signs that our blue planet is in
trouble and it is our own making? Will it be too late?<br />
<br />
"I have heard there are dozens and dozens of pipe lines
crossing the river there. I'm afraid this incident though
small by potential is just one of what has been and will be
many more. They are not going to safe guard as they should,
beholden to the financial shareholders as they are. But you
know all that. Missouri Coalition for Environment may take
this and run with it.<br />
<br />
"As it is, Swimming at Mosey may not happen for a while.
I'm gonna run the chain this afternoon and check out the after
effects now almost two weeks hence."<br />
<br />
-Big Muddy Michael F. Clark<br />
Owner, <a href="http://2muddy.com/">Big Muddy Adventures</a><br />
Near the Chain of Rocks, St. Louis<br />
email - <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:mike@2muddy.com" moz-do-not-send="true">mike@2muddy.com</a><br />
314-610-4241<br />
<br />Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-59063237004893457982015-02-09T13:56:00.005-06:002015-04-02T11:04:33.833-05:00Coast Guard seeks Missouri River user comments on navigationThe <a href="http://www.uscg.mil/d8/sectumr/">U.S. Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River</a> is conducting a Waterways Analysis Management System (WAMS) study of the Missouri River between January 8th and April 8th, 2015.<br />
<br />
The Missouri River study includes the navigable waters from Sioux City, Iowa to St. Louis, Mo. and specifically targets the navigation channel, marking of the navigation channel, and commerce.<br />
The study will include looking at waterborne commerce and safe commercial and recreational navigation with a focus on the existing aids to navigation in Missouri River system. The studies are conducted periodically to better understand the user's needs and facilitate safe and effective waterways.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.riverrelief.org/workspace/uploads/static-documents/user-survey-for-the-missouri-river-2015uscoastguard.pdf">Click here for the pdf User Survey</a>, which must be submitted by April 10, 2015.<br />
<br />
Any interested company or individual wishing to provide recommendations on existing or additional aids to navigation in this area, participate in a user survey, or receive further information should contact Sector Upper Mississippi River Waterways Management by April 10th, 2015. Waterways Management can be reached at <a href="mailto:SUMRWaterways@uscg.mil">SUMRWaterways@uscg.mil</a> or by calling 319-520-8556.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Some of the aspects addressed by WAMS are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">• Are all the aids necessary?</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">• Should aids be added, changed or
removed?</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="auto-style1">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">• Is the right aid being used for the
job?</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">• Are the aids marked in a correct and
visible manner?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">• Are these aids being used properly by
both the Coast Guard and the waterway users?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Coast
Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River will hold a public listening session from
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on FEBRUARY 25, 2015 to present, and receive feedback on the
Missouri River Waterways Analysis and Management System (WAMS) study. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="auto-style1">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
listening session will be held at the Jerry Litton Visitor Center, located at
Smithville Lake, 16311 DD Hwy, Smithville, MO 64089. </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="auto-style2">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Additionally,
any interested company or individual wishing to submit comments on existing or
additional aids to navigation in this area, participate in a user survey, or
receive further information can do so via the user survey available <a href="http://www.uscg.mil/d8/sectumr/Prevention/docs/USER%20SURVEY%20FOR%20THE%20MISSOURI%20RIVER.pdf">HERE</a>.
<span class="auto-style41"><i><u>The completed questionnaire must be submitted no
later than April 10, 2015</u></i></span> and may be emailed to <a href="mailto:sumrwaterways@uscg.mil">sumrwaterways@uscg.mil</a> or faxed to
314-269-2742, ATTN: Waterways Management.</span></div>
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<div class="auto-style2">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It
is the intent of Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River to collect comments
and materials from this listening session, along with navigation surveys, and
other information to establish and preserve the reasonable needs of navigation
on this river. For more information, please contact Sector Upper Mississippi
River Waterways Waterways Management at <a href="mailto:SUMRWaterways@uscg.mil">SUMRWaterways@uscg.mil</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-67816474264614568942012-06-11T06:31:00.002-05:002012-06-29T17:45:50.033-05:00Public Comment wanted on Corps Jameson Island chute extension<br />
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<i> Text by Steve Schnarr, followed by links to several resources about the project. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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An ongoing controversy that is hitting the headlines once
again surrounds the completion of the Corps of Engineers constructed chute on
Jameson Island Unit of the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge near
Arrow Rock, MO. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Public Comment is currently being accepted by the Corps
regarding the latest phase of the project, extending the chute downstream. The
Missouri Clean Water Commission is also considering whether to allow the
project. In 2007, the project was halted when the Clean Water Commission put a
stop order on chute construction and the dumping of sediment into the river. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Corps is attempting to gain permission on a project that
would extend the chute, moving the mouth downstream. They have proposed four
alternatives on the chute construction, and the deadline for public comment on
those alternatives has been extended to June 30 due to public and state
pressure. The four alternatives are 1) no action, 2) Excavate a 75-foot pilot
channel for the chute and stockpile the sediment along the banks, 3) Excavate
the entire planned 200 foot width of the chute and stockpile the sediment
outside the limits of the chute’s planned meander and 4) dredge a pilot channel
for the chute, injecting all sediment as a slurry into the Missouri River.The Corps preferred alternative is #4. They say this will be the least expensive option that has the least environmental impact. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The original stop order from the Clean Water Commission was
because the Corps was dumping excavated sediment into the river. The Commission
said that dumping sediment in the river was illegal for developers and farmers
and it should not be legal for the Corps of Engineers. The Corps stopped work
on the chute, which was eventually opened up by natural high river flows. In
last year’s high water flows the chute took more of the river’s flow than
allowed. This past winter the Corps placed a flow and grade control structure
near the head of the chute to reduce and control flow through the chute. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The Corps also requested a study be done by the National
Academy of Science into the impact on water quality and gulf hypoxia by their
restoration projects, which always involve introducing new sediment into the
river either by excavation or erosion. The NAS study was released in 2010 and
concluded that the Missouri River and the Mississippi Delta are starved for
sediment, nearly 80% of which is trapped behind the mainstem Missouri dams. NAS
saw no significant impact from the projects. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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The Corps agreed to requests to extend the public comment
period. There will be a public meeting on June 11, and the public comment
period ends June 30. </div>
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<br /></div>
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This post will contain a variety of links and photos
regarding the project to help you understand the history, context and meaning
of the controversy. </div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<b>Corps Public Comment and documents related to the Jameson
Island Chute</b></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/regulatory/CurrentPN/JamesonIslandPNExt.pdf">Notice of Public Comment Extension </a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_15991992"></a><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/regulatory/CurrentPN/JamesonIslandPNExt.pdf">and June 11 meeting. </a></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/regulatory/CurrentPN/JamesonIslandPN.pdf">Original Public Notice</a></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/regulatory/CurrentPN/JamesonIslandProjectReport.pdf">Project Implementation Report (116 pp)</a></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/regulatory/CurrentPN/JamesonIsland_AppA-F.pdf">Appendices A-F</a> (project history, water quality monitoring plan, adaptive mgmt.
strategy)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/regulatory/CurrentPN/JamesonIsland_AppG-H.pdf">Appendices G-H</a> (Permits and Clean Water Act)</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.dvidshub.net/image/557740/jameson-island-chute-project#.T6_6ClJRK59">USACE Jameson Island photo file</a></li>
</ul>
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<b>Clean Water Commission Meeting – 5-2-12</b></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MinBPEVm_ds&feature=youtu.be">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MinBPEVm_ds&feature=youtu.be</a></li>
</ul>
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<b>Newspaper Articles</b></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"> <a href="http://agfax.com/2012/06/12/sediment-dumping-in-missouri-river-prompts-public-hearing/">"Sediment dumping in Missouri River prompts public hearing"</a> - June 12, 2012, AgFAX - </li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/11/01/jameson-island-habitat-completed-help-nature/">“Nature Finishes what engineers began on Missouri River habitat” </a>– Nov. 1, 2010,
Columbia Missourian </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.dredgingtoday.com/2012/05/04/usace-addresses-missouri-clean-water-commission-concerns-usa/">“USACE addresses Clean Water Commission Concerns’ </a>– May 4, 2012, Dredging Today</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://missouri-news.org/featured/agreement-seeks-to-balance-missouri-river-wildlife-management-with-water-quality-needs/2599">“Agreement seeks to balance Missouri river wildlife management with water quality needs”</a> – January 15, 2011 </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/09/28/us-army-corps-completes-study-declaring-okay-put-sediment-missouri-river/">Academy reviews debate over placing sediment in Missouri River” </a>– Columbia
Missourian, Sept. 28, 2010 </li>
</ul>
<b>Marshall
Democrat News articles, Marshall, MO</b><br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="circle">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><a href="http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1838452.html">“Corp’s Jameson Island chute plan stirs controversy” – April 18, 2012</a></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><a href="http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1841251.html">“Farmers question corps officials on river dike management practices” – April 24, 2012</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<b>Opinion</b></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .5in;"> Environmental Law perspective - Sandra Zellmer - <a href="http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/events/environment_energy_resources/bp_201102-wl_sandra-zellmer.authcheckdam.pdf">"Mudslinging on the Missouri & Mississippi Rivers" </a>- Presentation at 29th Annual Water Law Conference. </li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=16&ved=0CGoQFjAFOAo&url=http%3A%2F%2Fresponsiblerivermanagement.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F04%2Ftime-to-stop-the-dirt-dumping-again.docx&ei=yPWvT96gJqnA2gX63uTpCA&usg=AFQjCNFlzI6-FORWmn6L_qJleFl6aXd2fQ&sig2=eRxCXeQGLVc5c7EqF4w2Fg">Kristen Perry, former Clean Water Commission member – “Time to stop the dirt dumping again”</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Science</b></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><a href="http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=13019&page=1">The National Academy of Science report on Missouri River sediment, completed by request from the Corps of Engineers after the Clean Water Commission stop order. </a></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-84625025170598168022012-05-13T11:39:00.001-05:002012-05-13T13:19:07.010-05:00Asian Carp may find back wayOriginally published May 13, 2012 in the <a href="http://www.albertleatribune.com/2012/05/12/asian-carp-may-find-back-way/">Albert Lea Tribune</a> - Albert Lea, MN.<br />
<a href="http://www.albertleatribune.com/2012/05/12/asian-carp-may-find-back-way/">Click here for original link. </a><br />
<br />
MINNEAPOLIS — There’s a back door for Asian carp to sneak into Minnesota, and fisheries officials are worried that the invaders might have found it already.<br />
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Commercial fishermen recently caught dozens of Asian carp in northwestern Iowa’s Great Lakes, one of that state’s most popular vacation spots. Those waters connect with lakes and streams in southwestern Minnesota, so the haul came as an unwelcome surprise to Minnesota officials who’ve been more focused on the higher-profile fight against Asian carp infiltrating up the Mississippi River.<br />
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“We view it as a big threat. …These fish don’t recognize political boundaries,” said Ryan Doorenbos, area fisheries supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in Windom.<br />
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No bighead or silver Asian carp have been caught in southwestern Minnesota, but a few have been netted on the east side of the state in the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. Officials have been trying for a few years to develop a strategy to stop them from advancing up the Mississippi past Minneapolis, but they’ve just started studying their options for the southwest.<br />
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Iowa DNR officials knew they had a problem when they netted two bighead carp in East Okoboji Lake last August. That was confirmed in late March when commercial fishermen caught 82 bighead carp and 55 silver carp in the same general area. A few days later in Spirit Lake, just below the Minnesota border, they caught one more silver carp, the kind known for leaping high into the air when startled by passing boats.<br />
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Officials believe the invasive carp made a dash into the Iowa Great Lakes during record flooding caused by heavy rain last summer. They’ve been present in the Missouri River system for some time. When the swift swimmers finally got an opportunity to sneak past a dam blocking their advance up the Little Sioux River, they were able to reach and swim up a creek that serves as the outlet for the chain of lakes.<br />
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The Iowa DNR plans to install an electric barrier to try to prevent reinforcements from reaching the lakes. Biologists don’t know if the fish will be able to establish a permanent breeding presence in them. Research indicates Asian carp need the currents of major rivers to spawn successfully, but neither state wants to take a chance on the fish adapting.<br />
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Minnesota started taking defensive measures a few weeks ago. Effective April 30, Minnesota designated several lakes, rivers, creeks and drainage ditches in Jackson and Nobles counties as infested waters because of the risk that a vanguard of Asian carp might already be lurking there.<br />
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Luke Skinner, the Minnesota DNR’s invasive species program supervisor, said the main benefit of that pre-emptive strike is that it prohibits the harvest of minnows from those waters that could be used as bait elsewhere.<br />
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It’s hard for most people to tell baby Asian carp from native minnow species, so the DNR fears that an angler who illegally dumps leftover minnows harvested from infested waters into another lake could give them a new foothold, possibly even in a major recreational lake well beyond the affected corner of southwestern Minnesota that’s in the Missouri River watershed.<br />
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Doorenbos said he’s studying three potential infiltration routes from Iowa. One would be directly from the Iowa Great Lakes via Little Spirit Lake, which straddles the border and connects with several lakes on the Minnesota side. A second would be the Little Sioux River, which starts in Minnesota and flows down the west side of the Iowa Great Lakes before it eventually reaches the Missouri River. The third would be in the far southwest corner of the state near Luverne in the Rock River watershed. The Rock River flows south into Iowa and hooks up with the Big Sioux River, which then connects with the Missouri. While there’s a dam on the Rock River in Iowa, he said it might be too low.<br />
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Some fortifications are already in place on the Minnesota side— grates that were installed earlier to block the spread of common carp. They’ll stop big fish, Doorenbos said, but younger, smaller fish can slip through. And the DNR closed a diversion gate between the Rock and Little Sioux watersheds earlier this spring.<br />
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The threatened Minnesota waters might not be big destinations like some of the state’s most popular lakes farther north, but they’re important to anglers in southwestern Minnesota as well as Iowans, Doorenbos said. Several, including Loon, Pearl, Rush, Clear, Round and Indian lakes, are managed for walleyes and northern pike and also hold crappie and perch populations, he said.<br />
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The Iowa Great Lakes, however, are one of that state’s top tourist destinations, worth more than $200 million annually to the local economy, which is why officials there are so concerned.<br />
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“For Iowa this is one of our premier natural resource areas. There’s a lot of interest in getting this area protected,” said Mike Hawkins, a fisheries management biologist with the Iowa DNR.<br />
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Fortunately, Hawkins said, the Asian carp caught in the Iowa Great Lakes have all been small, around 14 to 15 inches, suggesting they’re probably only a year old. If they don’t reproduce, their ranks won’t swell unless future flooding allows more of them to enter. And he said there are some indications that silver carp don’t jump as much when they’re in lakes, which would reduce the danger of injuring boaters.<br />
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But while the carp hauls have been small — and decreasing — ever since the big catch from East Okoboji in March, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot more hiding out there. They grow rapidly to huge sizes and consume enormous amounts of plankton, he said, so they still have the potential for disrupting the food chain and harming game fish populations.<br />
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Hawkins said the Iowa DNR is moving as quickly it can to install an electrical barrier at the Little Gar Lake outlet to the Iowa Great Lakes in hopes of preventing any more Asian carp from reaching them. The agency hopes construction can begin this fall.<br />
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“Getting that door closed is an important priority for us,” Hawkins said.Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-74999131476804596162012-05-13T11:36:00.000-05:002012-05-13T13:19:19.684-05:00Returning to the River<i>Video originally published May 12, 2012 on <a href="http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/Returning_to_the_River_151265025.html?ref=025">WOWT - Omaha. </a></i><br />
<a href="http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/Returning_to_the_River_151265025.html?ref=025">Click here for original link and to view video. </a><br />
<br />
<b>by Gary Smollen</b><br />
The impact of last summers flood along the Missouri River can still be seen in many areas. People are returning to the river but in some cases some efforts to make things right have been slowed by bureaucracy and thieves.<br />
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All along the river there are piles of sand and silt left behind by the receding water. As the Missouri returned inside its banks the people started returning to their recreational areas but it some cases they were totally wiped out.<br />
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Channel 6 News was there as one campsite was evacuated last year, on Saturday we returned to see how things have changed.<br />
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It's a difficult time for Tom Johnson as he walks around the campsite where he's stayed for years.<br />
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Debris left behind by the Missouri River is scattered everywhere. The water marks on the trees show just how much water cut through the campsite.<br />
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Tom Johnson says, "Anytime you have property on the river you know you're going to get damage so you go back in, you plug away, you clean it up and you enjoy it."<br />
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That’s what Johnson is doing now. He's cleaned the property and planted grass. Now he's waiting for the power to be restored to the River Swamps Campground but that may take a while.<br />
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Vandals have hit most of the camp sites in the area, ripping up electrical boxes for the metal inside.<br />
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Tom Johnson says, "Now whoever comes back can't just clean up and have the power turned back on even if we get power they have to replace a power pole, they have to replace all that."<br />
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Johnson says he's not sure the city will allow electrical lines to reach the campsite.<br />
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All of the campers knew when they were evacuating last June that it would be a long time before they could return.<br />
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Dan Gibbons was one of the last to leave and was intent on rebuilding on the river but he may have sensed how difficult that would be.<br />
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Dan Gibbons says, "That's all you can do if they let you back in if there is anything left they're talking, where we're standing right here, they're talking water his high."<br />
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They managed to survive the flood but their return home may be hindered by bureaucracy and thieves.Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-53893481452281429962012-05-09T10:14:00.000-05:002012-05-13T13:18:50.780-05:00Officials advise caution with low releases<h3>
<b><i> Releases from Gavins Point Dam reduced to zero with spillway tests</i></b></h3>
<b>This article was originally published in the <a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2012/05/09/community/doc4fa9e8783f0f7480019257.txt">Yankton Press & Dakotan</a> on May 9, 2012</b><br />
<a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2012/05/09/community/doc4fa9e8783f0f7480019257.txt">Click here to read original news story link. </a><br />
<br />
Also, here's a couple links to Yankton P&D stories regarding the same story:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2012/04/28/community/doc4f9b624b6b2f6771846017.txt">Corps to conduct spillway test at Gavins Point Dam</a> (April 28, 2012)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2012/05/05/community/doc4fa49cbec17d4542613449.txt">Corps: more tests for spillway</a> (May 5, 2012)</li>
</ul>
<b>From P&D Staff Reports</b><br />
The National Park Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are reminding the public to use caution today (Wednesday) as releases at Gavins Point Dam will be halted in order for a damage assessment to be conducted.<br />
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Water releases will be reduced beginning at 6 a.m. and continue incrementally until they reach 0 cfs. The releases will remain at 0 cfs for no more than eight hours and will be slowly increased back to normal flow levels. The river level is forecast to drop by eight feet at Yankton and will fall to similar levels downriver. Flow levels may change without notice.<br />
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Due to the drastic decrease in river levels the public should take proper precautions. Boat ramps and sections of the river may be inaccessible to motor boats. Be cautious when walking on sandbars as water levels may change rapidly with little notice. This could cause stranding and other dangerous conditions.<br />
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Items of cultural significance may appear. Keep in mind the collecting of cultural artifacts is prohibited by federal law. These valuable remnants of our cultural heritage are a national treasure and should be respected.<br />
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Also, the boat ramp at Nebraska Tailwaters will be unusable from approximately 6 a.m. through at least 6 p.m.<br />
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Also, due to low water conditions, boaters should use caution as the possibility of hazards may exist.<br />
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When the assessment is complete and releases resume, the ramp should be usable again in the early evening.<br />
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The training dike boat ramp is already closed due to rehabilitation, therefore there will be no Corps ramps to launch from during the assessment period.<br />
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For questions or more information, regarding conditions on the Missouri National Recreational River, call the park headquarters 605-665-0209 x29.Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-16540584257116033182012-04-28T14:05:00.001-05:002012-04-28T14:06:37.512-05:00Missouri River flooding fractures farm life on Nebraska Teardrop<b>This article was originally published in the <a href="http://www.ncnewspress.com/">Nebraska City News Press</a> on April 27, 2012</b><br />
<a href="http://www.ncnewspress.com/topstories/x206662094/Missouri-River-flooding-fractures-farm-life-on-Nebraska-Teardrop?zc_p=0"> Click here to read original news story link. </a><br />
<b> </b><br />
<div class="author vcard">
<span class="fn"><b>By Dan Swanson</b></span>
</div>
<div class="source-org vcard">
<a class="url org fn" href="http://www.ncnewspress.com/">GateHouse News Service</a></div>
<div class="source-org vcard">
</div>
<b> Additional links:</b><b><a href="http://www.ncnewspress.com/photos/x272269680/Photo-gallery-Nebraska-Teardrop-flood"><br /></a></b><br />
<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.ncnewspress.com/photos/x272269680/Photo-gallery-Nebraska-Teardrop-flood">photos</a></b></li>
<li><b><a href="http://www.ncnewspress.com/popularvideo/x1364632980/Slideshow-Flood-Fractures">slideshow </a></b></li>
</ul>
<i><b>Nebraska City, Neb. —</b></i><br />Like the federal flood levee that finally gave way to the Missouri River near Hamburg, Iowa, this summer, Clayton Lang's life is fractured.<br /><br />It's a perilous time to plant a crop, he said, when wind can whip up enough dirt to bury an emerging seedling or drive enough sand to shred plants the moment they appear on the barren, brown landscape.<br /><br />“It looks like a desert out there,” Lang said. “I don't see how some of the bottom ground will ever be farmed again. It's just open and barren. There's no color to it,” he said.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />His ground escaped the deep sand deposits that stretch out beyond the levee breach, so he expects most of his 1,000 acres to spring back to life.<br /><br />He sees weeds casting a green hue of photosynthesis across the eerily empty landscape to signal that farming practices can resume, but Lang's life has changed.<br /><br />Sometime at the turn of the 20th Century, Lang's father bought some land in Nebraska, in the vicinity of where the Nishnabotna River reaches the Missouri River basin.<br /><br />It's located in what they call the Nebraska teardrop, because of its shape starting as a pinpoint on the state border that widens and circles as it dips inland, keeping both Iowa and Missouri at bay.<br /><br />The great flood of 1952, when the level of the Missouri River set records that lasted nearly 60 years, wiped out a crop, but Lang's family was able to replant that very year.<br /><br />There were floods in 1993 and '98, and the Nishna Botna, it seems to Lang, threatened to pour over its banks all too often.<br /><br />In time, however, the Langs returned to their home and way of life.<br /><br />In some eyes, the timeline for the flood of 2011 might have started on May 23 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that record rainfall in Montana and the Dakotas was making flooding unavoidable.<br /><br />For others it started May 31, when Fremont County officials warned residents of Hamburg that water at the town's firehouse could be eight feet deep.<br /><br />For Lang the order to evacuate meant 70,000 bushels of corn had to be trucked out first.<br /><br />The timeline was ticking for his livelihood and each extra day he rejoiced at hearing the troubled levee was still holding.<br /><br />Early on, water burst from beneath the levee, but it collapsed on itself and resealed.<br /> A second partial breach was reported June 5 and the river bullied its way through on June 13, leaving men and machines to scramble.<br /><br />Lang's treasure of corn had been saved and the arrival of what Lang called a “great multitude” of family and friends meant they could begin moving out their household possessions from his mother's house and from his house that sat nearby.<br /><br />Lang lived under the shadow of the giant structure of dirt and sand known as the Nishna Botna levee. It would now serve as a dam for the water spreading across farmground upstream.<br /><br />The torrent would stop beyond Lang's fence row, pool and start to back up toward Hamburg and the truck stop at Percival.<br /><br />Ten hours had passed since the levee broke when Lang pulled the final, heaping trailer from his farm.<br /><br />The water had already flowed five miles inland, spreading at least five miles wide. Turning the corner from his property, Lang's truck hit a stretch of hidden roadway where the water was already two feet deep. His wife discouraged him from stopping to take a photograph.<br /><br />He had never seen anything like it and would never see his mom’s home standing again.<br /><br />His neighbor, Glen Stenzel, shares Lang's optimism about the land's ability to rebound and grow a crop.<br /><br />The flood swept away grain bins, shook sheds apart, buckled buildings and left scars on the land, but Stenzel said its lasting tragedy will be how it forced the residents to leave for good.<br /><br />When the flood had pooled about 20 feet deep over Lang's property, he launched a small boat on the bottoms.<br /><br />He lived on the “teardrop” all of his life, so he had little trouble navigating by a line of telephone poles that poked from the water's surface or a lone tree that had not yet leaned over.<br /><br />He came across an assembly of lumber that wind or current had deposited downstream from Hamburg's west ditch levee.<br /><br />As he investigated, he realized it was all that remained from the top of his mother's roof.<br /><br />The rest of the place was never found, unless by a piece here or there, scattered across 10,000 acres.<br /><br />Lang lived in the original family home. It had been improved and expanded on over the years, but now it had been inundated for most of June through September. It has not been bulldozed into a pile yet this spring, because Lang and his tractor had been hired on all winter to help rebuild the flood levees.<br /><br />“You just don't have enough time to get everything done,” he said.<br />Lang's land is covered with a fine silt.<br /><br />“Maybe,” he said, “It will be better than before. I don't think there's anything in there that will keep a crop from growing.”<br /><br />Now Lang lives in town, just across from the library. He says he enjoys the hard-surfaced roads.<br /><br />“It was a lot different when I was kid, I'd bet there were 20 families on just that land where the sand is so deep now, but only a few remained. I think you reach a certain age and it's hard to up and go when the water rises and move back in again. I guess I'm at that age now,” he said.<br /><br />“Until we can get some vegetation on the land, something growing in fence rows or some grass established, there's nothing out there,” he said.<b><br /></b>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-340781288634844632011-08-31T12:16:00.000-05:002011-08-31T12:16:16.396-05:00Missouri River Relief plans "learning festival" for county students in Hermann in October<b>This article was originally published in the <a href="http://www.gasconadecountyrepublican.com/">Gasconade County Republican</a> on Wednesday, August 31. </b><br />
<br />
<b>By Dave Marner</b><br />
Plans for a “learning festival” based along, and on the Missouri River, for county high school and middle school students are being finalized as Missouri River Relief prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary of cleaning the “Big Muddy.”<br />
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Students from Owensville High School, Owensville Middle School, the Hermann school district, and St. George, have been invited to attend separate day-long programs based on shore and on the Living Lands and Waters garbage barge River Relief will be using as the group travels down river from Jefferson City to St. Charles during October. Missouri River Relief is a Missouri Stream Team member based in Columbia, Mo., which has conducted large-scale cleanups from Yankton, S.D, to the mouth of the Missouri where it meets the Mississippi River. Students and faculty chaperones will have the chance to participate in several stations of land-based educational programs presented by professionals from the various agencies assisting River Relief staff.<br />
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Staff from the Gasconade and Montgomery County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Farm Service Agency are scheduled to be participating in the program.<br />
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With river levels expected to drop over the next month, River Relief is also planning to have water-based learning stations which could include instruction on aquatics, biology, and water quality issues.<br />
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School administrators discussed curriculum issues with Barrow and the agency representatives planning to participate in an effort to design learning experiences which will match up with each school’s educational programs.<br />
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“This is exciting,” said Barrow who was making his second planning trip to Owensville for the project. He also met last Thursday with school officials in Hermann. “I’m really excited.”<br />
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“Our teachers are really looking forward to this,” said Kurt Keller, principal at OHS.<br />
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Part of the experience will include the chance for students to help clean a section of the river’s shoreline under the supervision of trained MRR personnel. That aspect of the experience was something Teresa Ragan, principal at OMS, would strongly support. “Service learning gives something back to the community,” said Ragan.<br />
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OHS students are scheduled to attend the festival on Tuesday, Oct. 4, OMS attends Wednesday, Oct. 5, and Hermann students are invited on Thursday, Oct. 6.Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-71362584822047197452011-07-29T11:00:00.000-05:002011-07-29T11:00:29.407-05:00Corps releases flood drawdown schedule for fallFriday morning, July 29, 2011, the Corps of Engineers Omaha District released its plan for reservoir releases through the fall. Links to full information and the text of their press releases are below.<br />
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In a nutshell, releases from Gavin's Point Dam will drop to 150,000 cfs by Monday, then hold there through mid-August. They say this is needed to provide maximum evacuation of flood storage before the drawdown. Starting in mid-August, releases will drop 5,000 cfs per day, reaching a goal of 90,000 by August 27. Releases will hold there for approximately two weeks for the Corps to check for damage in dam structures and levees. The stepped drawdown is designed to allow floodwaters to drain slowly from the floodplain, causing less damage to levees as it exits. In addition, the goal is that as waters slowly drop, levees will be able to begin drying as hydrologic pressure from the river is released, causing less slumping.<br />
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Releases at Garrison and Oahe are scheduled to reach 85,000 cfs by August17 & 24 respectively, allowing the river to enter its banks again at Bismarck and Pierre. <br />
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In mid-September, releases will step down to a goal of 40,000 cfs by October 1. Releases will hold here and eventually will be drawn down to 20,000 cfs. by Dec. 1. Here's a graph of the Gavin's Plan, followed by the plan for upstream reservoirs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXr_IVB9w0pMHebjkG2XxFi5CWVE4vRsPmaHlp_wftfYWOs0WJeazYC-QHPGkwX2MeVNfVSuBtH6XdDXIJ4f4X6WhzCcKN9uvD_xLYklds47JkL8V_R2f7xRHZ_2R_e8-LU4laUSvEtbs/s1600/2011gavinsflooddrawdownstrategy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizXr_IVB9w0pMHebjkG2XxFi5CWVE4vRsPmaHlp_wftfYWOs0WJeazYC-QHPGkwX2MeVNfVSuBtH6XdDXIJ4f4X6WhzCcKN9uvD_xLYklds47JkL8V_R2f7xRHZ_2R_e8-LU4laUSvEtbs/s400/2011gavinsflooddrawdownstrategy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIKcPspmkxy238GpgLOQI73shU_OCfJSfVJ272196HbmgHmrjztC8lUUAmuumy8iuWUxDo7Bq_FMlHSh2_hMkB0Qc3HUq6eA_2Vxm6w-kFcTVMEUADeVfdmRTRnsS1e303_wyYdGbaqmz/s1600/2011reservoirflooddrawdownstrategy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIKcPspmkxy238GpgLOQI73shU_OCfJSfVJ272196HbmgHmrjztC8lUUAmuumy8iuWUxDo7Bq_FMlHSh2_hMkB0Qc3HUq6eA_2Vxm6w-kFcTVMEUADeVfdmRTRnsS1e303_wyYdGbaqmz/s400/2011reservoirflooddrawdownstrategy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(graphs supplied by US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District)</span></i><br />
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This plan is designed to have the reservoirs out of the exclusive pool as soon as possible and begin getting citizens back into their homes and businesses to begin recovery as soon as possible. <br />
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The Corps plans do not involve providing for additional flood storage space next year. As Gen. McMahon explains in the second release reprinted below, the decision was made to time releases to both evacuate the exclusive flood control storage as soon as possible, then begin lowering levels to allow residents, farmers and communities the most time before winter to rebuild, clean up and assess damages.<br />
<br />
Links on 2011 Floodwater Evacuation Plan<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/op-e/flood2011/ReservoirRelease/reservoirstrategy.html">Omaha District Reservoir Release Information Page</a></li>
<li>Press Release, July 29,<a href="http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/pa/pahm/NewsReleases11/NR072911-01.pdf"> "Corps announces strategy for evacuating floodwaters"</a>(also reprinted below)</li>
<li>Press Release, July 29, <a href="http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/pa/pahm/NewsReleases11/NR072911-02.pdf">"Corps’ drawdown plan aims to be ready for 2012 runoff"</a> - an explanation of the plan by Brig. Gen. John McMahon, Commander of Northwest Division. (also reprinted below)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/pa/pahm/NewsReleases11/NR072911-03.pdf">Pdf powerpoint describing drawdown plan</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/pa/pahm/NewsReleases11/NR072911-04.pdf">Spreadsheet detailing drawdown plan for all reservoirs</a></li>
</ul>Here are the two press releases reprinted from today's announcement. First is the general press release, followed by a more detailed explanation from Brig. Gen. John McMahon.<br />
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<b>U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS<br />
NEWS RELEASE<br />
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Northwestern Division, 1616 Capitol Ave., Omaha, Neb. 68102<br />
For Immediate Release: July 29, 2011 </b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Corps announces strategy for evacuating floodwaters</b></span><br />
Omaha, Neb. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces its strategy for evacuating floodwaters from its six mainstem dams along the Missouri River today.<br />
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“This plan allows the Corps to evacuate flood water from the reservoir system in a responsible way to prepare for the 2012 runoff season, while reducing the risk of further damages and gets affected homeowners, farmers and businesses back on their properties to begin repair and recovery as quickly as possible,” said Brig. Gen. John McMahon, Northwestern Division commander.<br />
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The Corps will execute a gradual drawdown, in which releases out of Gavins Point Dam, the southernmost reservoir in the system, will decrease to 150,000 cubic feet per second on Aug. 1 and will remain at that rate until approximately Aug. 16 when they will be stepped down 5,000 cfs daily until reaching 90,000 cfs around Aug. 27. The Gavins Point Dam releases will stay at 90,000 cfs for approximately 2 weeks and then will drop 5,000 cfs every two days, until reaching 40,000 cfs, which is slightly above the typical fall release rate, on or about Sept. 30.<br />
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Releases from Garrison and Oahe dams are scheduled to reach 85,000 cfs on Aug. 17 and 24, respectively. This is the estimated release to get the water back within the river channel and to begin floodplain drainage along the river at Bismarck, N.D. and Pierre, S.D.<br />
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This plan provides the opportunity for the Corps to begin inspection and repair of levees and other critical infrastructure and ensures adequate storage for the 2012 runoff season.<br />
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For the corresponding detailed three week release forecast for the other mainstem dams, go to: <a href="http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/reports/twout.html.">http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/reports/twout.html.</a><br />
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“We meticulously reviewed each of eight drawdown options with technical experts and leadership within the Northwestern Division, Omaha and Kansas City Districts,” said Jody Farhat, chief of Missouri River Basin Water Management Division. “This release schedule puts us in the best position to drawdown the water as quickly and as responsibly as possible, while allowing us time to inspect, assess and repair damages.”<br />
In making the decision, the Corps considered criteria such as the potential impacts to homes, farms and businesses within the floodplain, weather forecasts through 2012, acceptable release rate reductions from the dams, water levels on the temporary and downstream levees, getting the reservoirs out of the exclusive flood control zones, impacts to other critical infrastructure (tributary reservoirs, roads, facilities, etc.) and whether to increase the amount of flood control storage for the 2012 runoff season.<br />
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The current 2012 weather forecast predicts a 66.6 percent chance of normal or below normal precipitation, and a 33.3 percent chance of wetter than normal conditions. However, fall 2011 is forecasted to be wetter than normal; both of these predications contributed to the drawdown decision. Further consideration was given to the low probability of the re-occurrence of this 2011 500-year event again in 2012.<br />
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Holding releases from Gavins Point steady at 150,000 cfs starting through mid-August will enable Fort Peck, Garrison and Oahe Dams to move out of exclusive flood control storage around Aug. 6 while Fort Randall will reach this zone around Aug. 12. This will provide operational flexibility for the Corps to respond if significant rainfall events occur.<br />
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The Gavins Point two-week release pause at 90,000 cfs will allow for preliminary inspection and assessment of infrastructure and levees before the final drawdown. Eventually, this steady drawdown from the reservoirs, and respective floodplains, will bring water levels low enough for contractors (weather and funding permitting) to begin repairs as early as Dec. 1.<br />
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“It’s important that we drawdown these releases with full consideration of the many risks that remain,” said Brig. Gen. McMahon. “A rapid drawdown with high flows could cause extensive bank erosion and slumping in the levees, while too slow of a drawdown could leave high water on temporary and permanent levees, dams and other critical infrastructure, further increasing risks for overtoppings and breaches.” We assess these risks to be unacceptable in the context of the weather forecast and the low probability of re-occurrence.<br />
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“The goal is to evacuate these historic and unprecedented floodwaters responsibly and bring the entire system back to its full annual flood control capacity of 16.3 million acre feet by March 1, which is generally the start of the spring 2012 runoff season,” said Farhat. This will put the flood control pool to a system storage level of 56.8 million acre feet. Prior to the Flood of 2011, and since 1881, this amount has been adequate to capture spring runoff and manage water flow through the system.<br />
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“We have already seen water inflows to the system decline and empty system flood control space increase in the past three weeks” said Brig. Gen. McMahon. “We are confident that this plan will best prepare us for the 2012 runoff season.”<br />
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All dates provided above are best approximations, based on current forecast conditions and the best available information at the time. Adjustments to the release schedule may be necessary if conditions change. View daily and forecasted reservoir and river information on the Water Management section of the Northwestern Division homepage at: <a href="http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc">http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS<br />
NEWS RELEASE<br />
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Northwestern Division, 1616 Capitol Ave., Omaha, Neb. 68102<br />
For Immediate Release: July 29, 2011 </b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
Corps’ drawdown plan aims to be ready for 2012 runoff</b></span><br />
<b>- Brig. Gen. John McMahon, Commander Northwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</b><br />
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After much deliberation with my team, I have selected a plan for responsibly evacuating flood waters from the Missouri River Mainstem System through the remainder of 2011. This risk-based decision was not made lightly. We must get the water back into the river banks and out of the floodplain so that people can return to their homes, farms and businesses as soon as possible.<br />
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The release schedule selected prepares the basin to be ready for the 2012 runoff season. Our number priority, as always, is public safety. This drawdown schedule is the safest option to evacuate floodwaters from the reservoirs in a timely manner, while simultaneously decreasing the risk to temporary and permanent levees, our six mainstem dams and other critical infrastructure.<br />
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We’ve opted to use a gradual drawdown approach. This will provide us with the best chances of minimizing the amount of additional damage we might otherwise face if we attempted to draw down too quickly. The risks associated with too slow a drawdown would leave high water on temporary levees and permanent flood risk reduction structures longer than necessary, which increases our chances of overtopping and/or breaching levees. If we make too rapid a drawdown, we run risks to include potential damage to infrastructure, extensive bank erosion, and sloughing in the levees.<br />
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2011 will be the highest runoff season in the Corps’ 113 years of record keeping in the Missouri River Basin. The Mighty “Mo” has reminded us just how unpredictable she can be. This is why it’s so important for us to be prepared for the 2012 runoff season. In light of this year’s runoff, several of the drawdown alternatives considered whether more mainstem system flood control storage is necessary for the 2012 runoff season. None of the options before us could ever eliminate all flood risk. We thoroughly evaluated options of adding an additional 1.3 million acre-feet and 3.6 million acre-feet to the existing 16.3 MAF of flood control storage in the system. These options and others have serious consequences to getting us ready for the 2012 runoff season.<br />
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First, the additional time it would take to evacuate any additional volume of water is precious time we don’t have before the onset of cold weather in the Basin. Second, there is unacceptable risk of breaching and/or overtopping additional levees, especially those protecting people and communities; this is due to the prolonged duration of increased releases to accommodate these additional volumes of water through the system. Third, neither the weather forecasts for the remainder of 2011 and for 2012, nor the probability of re-occurrence of this 2011 event in 2012 warrant such additional risk.<br />
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The mainstem system was designed based on the 1881 flood. That year, the basin experienced 40 million acre feet of runoff above Sioux City, Iowa, from March to July, the worst flood on record known to modern man. Hence, 16.3 million acre-feet of flood control storage was allocated in the system— which would have been the required amount of storage to manage the 1881 flood waters while keeping system releases at or below 100,000 cubic-feet-per-second. Since the construction of the mainstem system, that amount of storage has been sufficient to adequately handle every runoff season until this year. Runoff from March to July in 2011 is expected to total 49 million acre-feet, 20 percent higher than what the system was designed to manage.<br />
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The release schedule does not increase flood control storage prior to the 2012 runoff season. Increasing flood control storage before March 2012 would mean significantly higher releases for a longer period of time this fall. That would further increase the strain on temporary and permanent levees and other critical infrastructure. It would significantly limit our ability to inspect, assess and repair damages because water would be higher longer. Simply put, providing for more flood control storage would gravely jeopardize the basin’s ability to be ready for the 2012 runoff season.<br />
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Part of our analysis included weather forecasts through 2012. The forecast predicts a wetter than normal fall 2011. The forecast for a wet fall contributed to our drawdown release decision. Based on the gradual drawdown release schedule, our plan is to decrease releases at Gavins Point Dam to 40,000 cubic feet per second by the end of September. This would give the system the flexibility needed to store additional floodwaters if another significant rainfall event happens this year.<br />
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Our evaluation included the consideration of eight drawdown options with a thorough risk analysis of each. We took into account the impacts to homes, farms and businesses within the floodplain, temporary and permanent levees, our dams and other critical infrastructure. The review also took external factors, such as funding, weather and contractor availability, into account. Given our review and assessment of the associated risks, the release schedule we selected was the best option. The plan allows us the time we need to inspect, assess and repair damages. This drawdown schedule provides the best path for the basin to be ready for the 2012 runoff season.<br />
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There are limitations and obstacles we must consider as we prepare for the 2012 runoff season. We must quantify and obtain funding to initiate and complete the repairs. We must work closely with contractors to ensure the work is completed safely, on time and within budget. The majority of the work will have to be done during the harsh winter months. The release schedule puts us in a good position to get water levels low enough to begin those inspections and assessments and put contracts in place to begin work as early as 1 December.<br />
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We will have to prioritize our efforts based on an applicable set of criteria that puts protection of life and human safety first, followed by protection of key infrastructure and valuable cropland. Given the time constraints, we may not be able to repair everything in time for the 2012 runoff. Those decisions will not be easy.<br />
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Meanwhile, a full post-flood assessment will begin soon. The assessment will require us to answer many of the same questions you have been asking us. We will look at how we managed the dams and reservoirs from the winter of 2010 through the end of this flood fight. We will conduct a full-scale assessment to determine what, if anything, needs to change in our operating procedures. All of this will take time.<br />
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Our primary objective with this gradual drawdown schedule is to be ready for the 2012 runoff season. To do that, we must evacuate water from the reservoirs and the floodplain in a safe and responsible manner. We are 100 percent committed to this flood fight, and will remain vigilant throughout the coming months as we evacuate this water responsibly, get people back in their homes, farms and businesses, and begin the process of repairing the damage to get ready for 2012.<br />
<b>- Brig. Gen. John McMahon, Commander Northwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers</b>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-89033987774200173502011-07-28T13:47:00.001-05:002011-07-28T13:47:38.708-05:00Corps emails released; drought eases floodingFor the thousands of people affected by this flood who have been wondering how the Corps of Engineers was dealing with water releases as snow piled up this spring, followed by massive rains in the upper basin, the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader opened a window this week. Through a Freedom of Information request, the AL obtained a batch of Corps emails documenting the evolution of this flood. Check out the stories below giving context to this trove of information.<br />
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For communities, highway departments and levee districts trying to plan for a fall of repairs, this Friday will provide a guide to future river levels. <b>The Corps is planning on releasing their dam release schedules through September on this Friday, July 29.</b> As always, the forecasts will be subject to change depending on rainfall in the basin. The Corps is planning on reducing Gavin's Point Dam releases from 160,000 cfs to 150,000 from July 31 to August 2. <br />
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Although pulses of rain in the Big Sioux River basin caused new flood crests from Sioux City to Kansas City, the whole lower basin has been spared from the worst case scenario by little to no rain in many parts of the basin. In some counties, farmers in the uplands are suffering the beginning of drought while bottomland farmers are monitoring their levees and constantly pumping out seepwater. At the same time, the continuous massive flows continue to test levees and flood prevention measures throughout the basin. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Argus-Leader series on Corps of Engineers emails</b></span><br />
The Sioux Falls Argus-Leader obtained a block of emails from late winter/spring 2011 that give a window into the reservoir releases as weather deteriorated this spring. Includes an analysis story with links to raw emails as well as a timeline created from information in the emails.<br />
<ul><li><b>Sioux Falls Argus-Leader - July 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110724/NEWS/107240316/Corps-alerted-coming-flood">"Corps Alerted to Coming Flood"</a> - <i>Analysis and raw email files</i></li>
<li><b>Sioux Falls Argus-Leader - July 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011107240317">"Excerpts of Corps Email Traffic" </a>- <i>a timeline of flood evolution based on Corps emails. </i></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Corps of Engineers Aerial Recon Photos</b></span><br />
The Corps of Engineers Kansas City District has been releasing aerial recon photos in Google Earth format. If you have Google Earth installed on your computer, you can click the links below to download .kmz files that will open in Google Earth.<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Flood/InundationMaps/PAO_Google_earth/GPS_Photos_North.kmz">July 21, North of Kansas City</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Flood/InundationMaps/PAO_Google_earth/GPS_Photos_East.kmz">July 21, East of Kansas City</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Flood/index.cfm">Direct link to Kansas City District Flood page</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/usace-kcd">Kansas City District Flickr Photo files</a> (see photo sets on right to view latest aerial recon photos)</li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aerial photos posted by Google</b></span><br />
<a href="http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2011/07/updated-imagery-of-flooding-near.html">Click here to view aerial photos posted by Google of areas near Council Bluffs, IA. </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Editorial/Analysis</b></span><br />
<b>Leavenworth Times, July 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.leavenworthtimes.com/opinions/x410262740/Nowak-The-Missouri-River-Canal">"The Missouri River Canal" by Matt Nowak</a><i> - an idea to send Missouri River water to drier parts of the country. Nothing like a flood to make people forget the drought we just came out of. </i><br />
<b>St. Louis Post Dispatch, July 22, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/article_fe5a53d7-de76-5fd0-82cd-294f56e98072.html">"The Missouri River Compromise"</a> by Robert Kelley Schneiders . You can also check out Schneiders' flood blog by <a href="http://ecointheknow.com/category/missouri-river-flood-2011/">clicking here. </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dakotas</b></span><br />
<b>Keloland TV, July 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.keloland.com/news/news/flooding/NewsDetail10645.cfm?Id=118576">"No Flood Assistance from FEMA"</a> <i>for individual homeowners. </i><br />
<b>Yankton Press-Dakotan, July 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2011/07/26/community/doc4e2e3be8d0a5c032083541.txt">"Corps Ready to Reveal Long-term Water Plans"</a> <i>- The Corps will announce release schedule through Sept. on Friday, July 28. </i><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune, July 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/dalrymple-says-corps-must-give-answers/article_b74f01a6-b7da-11e0-968f-001cc4c002e0.html">"Gov. Dalrymple says Corps must give answers" </a><br />
<b>Pierre Capital Journal, July 27, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.capjournal.com/articles/2011/07/27/breaking_news/doc4e303fffea32f464303441.txt"> "State sets up flood camage call center"</a> -<i> in an attempt to appeal FEMA's decision to withhold assistance for individual homeowners, the state is attempting to collect more information on flood damage to present to FEMA. </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nebraska/Iowa</b></span><br />
<b>KTIV Channel 4 - July 27, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.ktiv.com/story/15161363/missouri-river-bed-degraded-several-feet">"Missouri River bed drops 6-8 feet" </a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, July 25, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110725/NEWS01/110729844#river-dropping-after-2nd-crest">"River dropping after second crest"</a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, July 27, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110727/NEWS01/707279849/32#plans-laid-for-i-29-reopening">"Plans laid for I-29 reopening" </a>- <i>Waters still have a lot of receding to do, and damage to many areas is unknown, but plans are being made for action after waters drop. </i><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, July 22, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110722/NEWS01/707229881/-1">"Below Flood stage by September?"</a><br />
<b>WOWT-channel 6, July 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Aerial_Tour_Of_Flooding_126097719.html">"Aerial Tour of flooding" </a><br />
<b>WOWT-channel 6, July 25, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/River_Pests_Out_In_Force_126105778.html?storySection=story"> "River Pests out in force" </a><br />
<b>Businessweek, July 27, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9OO5HPO0.htm">"Nebraska nuclear plant's flood recovery being planned" </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kansas/Missouri </b></span><br />
<b>FOX Channel 4 - July 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-missouri-river-still-threatens-holt-county-levees-20110726,0,2125788.story">"Flooding still threatens Holt County levees" </a><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, July 27, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/2011-flooding/28682286/detail.html"> "Casino may not reopen until October" </a><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, July 24, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/localnews/28647238/detail.html">"Trials and tribulations of a long summer" </a><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, July 25, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/2011-flooding/28664147/detail.html"> "Flood insurance policies lead to frustration" </a><br />
<b>Columbia Missourian, July 23, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/07/23/missouri-river-flooding-closure-impacting-barge-industry/">"Missouri River flooding hurts barge industry" </a><br />
<b>KSU Collegian, July 24, 2011</b> -<a href="http://news.collegemedianetwork.com/news/kansas-river-race-fills-void-after-missouri-rivers-rise"> "Kansas River race fills void after Missouri River flooding" </a><br />
<b>Columbia Tribune, July 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jul/24/nixon-says-state-is-ready-to-help-town/#">"Nixon says state ready to help Wooldridge" </a><br />
<b>Columbia Tribune, July 24, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jul/24/corps-faces-a-battle-over-land-near-wilton/"> "Corps faces a battle over land near Wilton" </a>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-64401623383010239892011-07-21T15:50:00.004-05:002011-07-22T00:17:39.903-05:00Long term flood continues to reveal damagesThe Omaha World Herald today says..."50 days of flooding and counting". And, although the Corps will be lowering releases from Gavin's Point Dam from 160 kcfs to 150 kcfs at the end of July, baseline levels will remain high at least through mid-August. Latest Corps predictions show 150kcfs releases continuing at least until August 12. The Corps says that because of water draining from adjacent floodplains, there will be no noticeable drop even with this reduction in releases. <br />
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Relatively dry weather in the lower basin, with most rain events being sporadic and scattered has meant that levels have retreated from their highs but remain fairly level. However, rain in the Big Sioux River watershed pushed levels to a probable record in Sioux City today. The focus for most flood fighting has been shoring up soggy levees, attacking sand boils, pumping seepage from behind protected areas and basic pump maintenance. Sandbags continue to be filled in many areas, applied to new trouble spots.<br />
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Confusion with flood insurance has led to some new legislation changing some of FEMA's rules and the Corps and FEMA have begun collecting flood damage claims. The process will prove to be long and frustration for the many people damaged in the flood. Many counties affected have not received federal major disaster declaration from the President. <br />
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As flooding continues, inundated houses have been collapsing, new channels appear to be forming, mold is spreading and mosquitoes have been relentless. The oppressive heat has made all flood fighting more dangerous and exhausting. Some residents have just recently been able to view their flooded homes in rural areas shut down from access, and have been shocked at the damage. The Decatur bridge is experiencing undermining of its approach ramps and highways still under water have an undetermined amount of erosion and saturation damage. The Corps continues to check their dams, release tunnels and spillways for erosive damage. They continue to assure that dams are operating as designed.<br />
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Officials worry that the good news of drawdowns by the Corps might catch people off guard if there is rain later. Unlike many flood events, there is no real predicted "crest". Additional rain will continue to cause spikes in river levels that will need to be watched. As many of the stories below reveal, people and businesses continue to suffer, and are still unable to know just how much they've been effected by this prolonged flood.<br />
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Here's some links to news stories published on the web about how communities are coping with the flood.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aerial Photography</b></span><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://leevalley.net/missouririverflood.htm">From Lee Valley Auctions - Missouri River Flooding 2011</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://odc.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=5002&p=2692">Omaha World Herald -July 15, 2011</a> </li>
<li>Earth Observatory - <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/event.php?id=50798">Map links to archive of satellite photos of Missouri River flooding</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/johndame/AerialOfFlood2011FirstSetJune17thSecondSetJune24thThirdSetJuly15thHazyMorning#">Photos by John Dame - a set of photos starting June 17, ending July 15</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/110143410368884165110?authuser=0">Iowa State Patrol - a series of flood photos</a></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Opinion/Analysis</b></span><br />
<ul><li><b>Sioux City Journal - July 17. 2011</b> -<a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_de1ed30b-41e5-55e0-9bbc-6bfdd2752b23.html"> "Water Storage Question must be answered"</a><i> A letter to the editor laying out the crucial question - how much room should be left in dams at end of winter.</i><b> </b></li>
<li><b>Sioux City Journal - July 17, 2011</b> - <a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/opinion/columnists/article_84a25d65-586a-5da5-beb8-93f912ff6238.html">"Let the Missouri River be a river"</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://ecointheknow.com/category/missouri-river-flood-2011/">Robert Kelley Schneiders ongoing blog on Missouri River flooding</a> (Schneiders is author of "Unruly River" a history of change on the Missouri River)<b> </b></li>
<li><b>MSNBC - July 12, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43720900">"Some say environmental groups share flooding blame" </a></li>
</ul><i>While the formation of a "Missouri River Working Group" at the federal representative level suggests a "new spirit of cooperation", the ghosts of Missouri River issues past continue to lurk. Here's a couple of opposing opinions on that:</i><br />
<ul><li><b>From the office of US Rep. for Missouri Blaine Luetkemeyer </b>- <a href="http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=26&parentid=6&sectiontree=6,26&itemid=729">Press Release July 15, 2011 -<span style="font-size: small;"> "</span></a><a href="http://luetkemeyer.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=26&parentid=6&sectiontree=6,26&itemid=729"><span style="font-size: small;">Luetkemeyer River Amendments Protect Missouri Taxpayers and Communities"</span></a><b> </b></li>
<li><b>Editorial by Dave Helling, - July 15, 2011</b> - <a href="http://midwestdemocracyproject.org/blogs/entries/missouris-politicians-tried-kill-river-study-they-now-seek/">"Missouri's politicians voted to kill river study similar to the one they now seek"</a> & Helling's piece published in <b>KC Star - July 12, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/12/3010880/drive-to-manage-river-better-is.html">"Drive to better manage river on-again, off-again" </a></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Corps of Engineers begins claims process</b></span><br />
The Corps has opened two different processes for levee districts or individuals filing either claims on damages to property or to request assistance in levee rehabilitation. Here's a couple links<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/op-e/flood2011/Factsheets/INTRODUCTION%20TO%20CLAIMS%20PROCESS-NWD-rev2.pdf">"Filing a claim for damages..." The Corps is not promising payments for damages, but has begun a process for people to begin filing claims. </a>This is the Omaha District. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Flood/LeveeRehabilitation.cfm">Resources for levee rehabilitation or alternatives to rehabilitation</a>. Kansas City District. </li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wyoming/Montana</b></span><br />
<b>Billings Gazette - July 21, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_23886a11-d941-5e4e-9d05-8ff984d58f7c.html">"Buffalo Bill Reservoir Fills" </a><br />
<b>Billings Gazette - July 10, 2011</b> - <a href="http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_343e2121-f43d-551a-a46f-602ed076d7ad.html">"Hell & High Water - Fort Peck Marina owner battered by flooding" </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dakotas</span><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune - July 21, 2011</b> - <a href="http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck-asks-residents-to-limit-water-use/article_d1c3180e-b31d-11e0-bce5-001cc4c03286.html">"Bismarck asks residents to limit water use"</a> <i>Sediment both suspended in the water and piling up at the water plant intake has lowered the water plant capacity. </i><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune - July 20, 2011</b> - <a href="http://bismarcktribune.com/gallery/neighbors/flood-victim-turns-heartbreak-into-poetry/article_88ff2074-b2fd-11e0-bc01-001cc4c03286.html">"Flood victim turns heartbreak into poetry"</a> With great video as well. <br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune - July 19, 2011</b> -<a href="http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/corps-discusses-this-year-s-releases-next-year-s-plans/article_c2081b16-af31-11e0-ae8d-001cc4c03286.html"> "Corps discusses this year's releases, next year's plans" </a><br />
&<a href="http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/regulatory-tunnels-holding-up-at-the-garrison-dam/article_3ae54364-b1d1-11e0-a3a8-001cc4c03286.html"> "Regulatory tunnels holding up at Garrison Dam" </a><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune - July 15, 2011</b> - <a href="http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/oil-spill-hits-the-missouri-river-south-of-williston/article_8d2b781e-aea2-11e0-9ffd-001cc4c03286.html">"Oil spill hits the Missouri River south of Williston"</a><br />
<b>CNN - July 12, 2011</b> - <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-634046">"How long will Missouri mega-flood endure" </a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Nebraska/Iowa</span></b><br />
<b>KCAU - TV9 - July 19, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kcautv.com/story/15110248/winnavegas-casino-takes-creative-approach">"WinnaVegas Casino to reopen thanks to amphibious duck boats" </a><br />
& <a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/vmix_af3015e6-b2ee-11e0-abd1-001cc4c002e0.html">"Dam Debris Piling Up"</a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald - July 21, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110721/NEWS01/707219893">"50 days of flooding and counting" </a><br />
<b>Omaha World- Herald - July 19, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110719/NEWS01/707199901/1039#fighting-flood-is-a-daily-battle">"Fighting flood is a daily battle" </a><br />
<b>Washington County Pilot-Tribune and Enterprise (Blair/Fort Calhoun Area)</b> - <a href="http://www.enterprisepub.com/news/flood_coverage_2011/nobody-told-us-it-was-going-to-be-this-bad/article_c972aee4-ae45-11e0-8a31-0019bb30f31a.html">"Nobody told us it was going to be this bad"</a> & <a href="http://www.enterprisepub.com/news/flood_coverage_2011/glimpse-of-damage-from-flooding/article_84325962-acef-11e0-ad74-001a4bcf6878.html">"Glimpse of Damage from Flooding"</a> & <a href="http://www.enterprisepub.com/news/flood_coverage_2011/still-a-lot-of-confusion-about-flood-insurance/article_43645736-ae44-11e0-953a-0019bb30f31a.html">"Still a lot of confusion about flood insurance"</a> & <a href="http://www.enterprisepub.com/news/flood_coverage_2011/disaster-plea-includes-individual-assistance/article_a0e61d08-ae45-11e0-a6dd-0019bb30f31a.html">"Disaster plea includes individual assistance"</a> & <a href="http://www.enterprisepub.com/news/flood_coverage_2011/farmers-play-waiting-game-with-flood/article_0d288ec0-b179-11e0-b7d3-0019bb30f31a.html">"Farmers play waiting game with flood" </a><br />
<b>WOWT Channel 6, Omaha - July 14, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/What_Will_Be_Left_When_Waters_Recede_125595463.html">"What will be left when the flood recedes?"</a><br />
<b>Sioux City Journal - July 14, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/article_693eb84e-ad94-11e0-acc0-001cc4c002e0.html?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed">"Conditions improve at Nebraska nuclear plants" </a><br />
<b>Radio Iowa - July 21, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.radioiowa.com/2011/07/21/missouri-river-trouble-coalition-proposal-gaining-momentum/">"Missouri River trouble coalition proposal gaining momentum"</a> <i>An effort to bring states together to address Missouri River management</i><br />
<b>KMEG 14 - July 20, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.kmeg.com/story/15118312/dealing-with-mold-after-the-missouri-recedes"> "Dealing with mold after the water recedes"</a><br />
<b>KCAU - July 13, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.kcautv.com/story/15078427/social-media-helps-people-stay-current-on-flood-information">"Social Media Helps people stay current on flood information" </a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald - July 12, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110712/NEWS01/707129933/1009#.Th0B8Bbo9hI.facebook"> "Flood forces creative commuting" </a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald - July 12, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110713/NEWS01/110719776#house-ok-s-flood-insurance-bill">House OK's flood insurance bill"</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Missouri/Kansas</span></b><br />
<b>Maryville Daily Forum - July 21, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com/features/x1009564877/Holt-County-organizing-flood-claims-effort">"Holt County Organizing Flood Claims Effort" </a><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, July 20, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/2011-flooding/28616674/detail.html">"Up close it's pretty devastating - Officials must wait to begin flood cleanup"</a><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, July 12, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/12/3010881/farmland-in-carroll-county-mo.html">"Farmland in Carroll County covered with floodwaters" </a><br />
<b>Missouri National Guard Blog - July 12, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.moguard.com/bear-facts/index.php?entry=entry110712-120610">"Guardsmen rescue family from flooding home" </a><br />
<b>St. Louis Post-Dispatch - July 12, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_f526d37a-acc5-11e0-b8eb-0019bb30f31a.html?mode=story">"McCaskill, Blunt say Missouri River summit aims to get beyond old battles" </a><br />
<b>St. Louis Post-Dispatch - July 13, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/article_a9ea2e5b-8db8-53be-86b6-5b844c2a80f5.html"> "Federal Flood Insurance confuses many along Missouri River basin" </a>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-44401395252988748902011-07-11T23:04:00.002-05:002011-07-12T10:15:39.761-05:00Updated forecast on Gavin's releases - river now closed upstream of GlasgowTwo little pieces of just released news, and some more details on levees and the threat to US65:<br />
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1. <b>The Corps has released more details on their forecast for Gavin's Point releases.</b> On July 30, releases will be reduced from 160,000 cfs to 155,000. On August 1, they will be reduced to 150,000. Heavy rains could still affect this forecast. <br />
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2. <b>The Coast Guard has extended the closure</b> of the Missouri River to all traffic from the Gavin's Point Dam to the Glasgow bridge at river mile 226.3. <br />
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3. <b>Snowpack continues to melt.</b> Here's the latest: The snow above Fort Peck peaked at 141% of normal and is now down to 6% of normal. The snow in the reach between Fort Peck and Garrison (primarily the Yellowstone basin) peaked at 136% and is now down to 4%. The snow in the North Plate basin pecked at 150% of Normal and is currently down to less than 10% and the snow pack in the South Platte Basin peaked at 150% of Normal and the melting in this reach is complete.<br />
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4. <b>From Tom Waters of the Missouri Levee & Drainage District Assoc.:</b> The Root Levee breached early this morning. This levee is located in Southern Carroll County in Missouri. The breach is 250-33 feet long. The levee is part of a system of levees, which includes the following levees: Wakenda Levee, Sambo Slough Levee, and the Farmers Levee. Combined this system protects around 22,000 acres and US Highway 65 south of Carrollton, Missouri.<br />
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MODOT is watching US 65 in Carroll County very closely. Levee problems in that area may eventually close this highway and the bridge between Carrollton and Waverly. Current US 65 has one lane open. 9,000 feet of large sand bags have been placed along the highway to try to keep it open. <br />
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Here is a map of the levee break, posted by the Corps of Engineers Missouri River Joint Communications Office: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=242770479083722&set=a.236052829755487.71723.223208304373273&type=1&theater">http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=242770479083722&set=a.236052829755487.71723.223208304373273&type=1&theater</a><br />
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Here's the latest on levee overtops and breaches, courtesy of the Missouri Levee & Drainage District Assoc:<br />
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***At this time, all Non-Federal Levees in the KC District located upstream of Kansas City are either overtopping or have been breached***<br />
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<u><b>Levees Overtopping</b></u><br />
<ul><li>A private levee in the Malta Bend bottoms is overtopping. Began 7/9/11</li>
<li>The Belcher-Lozier Levee in Carroll County is overtopping. This levee is one of four levees that had a major breach last year. Belcher-Lozier is one levee of several making up a very large levee system in Southern Carroll County. It is located near Norborne, Missouri. Began 7/7/11</li>
<li>The Wolcott Levee Section #3 is overtopping. This levee is located near Interstate I-435 at the Leavenworth and Wyandotte County lines. Section #2 has failed. Began 7/2/11</li>
<li>The Wolcott Levee Section #1 is overtopping. This levee is located near Interstate I-435 at the Leavenworth and Wyandotte County lines. Began again on 7/2/11</li>
<li>The Kansas Department of Corrections Levee is overtopping near Lansing, KS. Began 6/29/11</li>
<li>Federal Levee L-536-550 Turkey Creek LB. Rock Creek RB, Missouri River RB and Mill Creek RB is overtopping near River Mile 521. This is between Corning, MO and Rock Port, MO. This levee goes up the Right Bank of Rock Creek at the upper end of the system and up Mill Creek at the lower end of the system. The overtopping is occurring at a location on the Missouri River section of the levee L-536 at River Mile 521 for approximately 1/2 mile. This levee system protects nearly 14,000 acres and 45 residential buildings with a population of 25. Began 6/27/11</li>
<li>Federal Levee R-548 near Brownville, Nebraska is overtopping. Began 6/20/11</li>
<li>Cannon Drainage District Levee Near Forest City, Missouri Began 6/23/11</li>
<li>Grape-Bolin Schwartz Levee Association Levee, Near Weston, Missouri Began 6/27/11</li>
<li>Henry Pohl Levee, Near Atchison Began 6/27/11</li>
</ul><u><b>Current Levee Breaches</b></u><br />
<ul><li>Root Levee in Southern Carroll County, Missouri</li>
<li>Wolcott Drainage District Levee Section #2 near Interstate I-435 at the Leavenworth and Wyandotte County lines.</li>
<li>L-575 Second Breach Near Percival, Iowa</li>
<li>Bean Lake Levee</li>
<li>Rushville-Sugar Lake, Also impacts Platte County Levees #1 and #2</li>
<li>L-575 Near Hamburg, Iowa</li>
<li>Union Township, Near Craig, Missouri</li>
<li>Holt County #10, Big Lake, Missouri</li>
<li>Holt County Levee #9, Forest City, Missouri</li>
<li>L-550, Near Watson, Missouri</li>
</ul><u><b>Private Levees Breached (Not in PL84-99 Rehab Program)</b></u><br />
<ul><li>A private levee west of Missouri City, Missouri and South of Old Highway 210 has breached.</li>
<li>Vanmann Levee #30, Near Desoto Bend</li>
<li>Mill Creek Levee, Holt County near Corning</li>
<li>Big Tarkio River Levee-Holt County near Craig</li>
<li>Levee District #10 Levee-Holt County near Big Lake</li>
<li>Private levee just south of Blair, Nebraska in Iowa (Name not available)</li>
</ul>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-52857989947930378632011-07-11T14:28:00.001-05:002011-07-11T22:38:10.172-05:00Columbia Tribune: River Advocates Hatch Big Cleanup Plan<b>Originally published on July 2, 2011 in the <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/">Columbia Daily Tribune</a></b><br />
<a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jul/02/river-advocates-hatch-big-cleanup-plan/"><b>Click here for original link. </b></a><br />
<b>By Brennan David</b><br />
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Today was supposed to be the day when paddlers raced south to the state capital for a fundraiser supporting a Missouri River cleanup. Instead, the river relief group now is making plans to clear the banks with a trash barge after the flooding, which resulted in the race’s postponement, recedes.<br />
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Missouri River Relief plans to use the trash barge this fall in its effort to clean up tons of trash to be left behind by summer flooding. The not-for-profit organization is working to secure a barge that would store trash for volunteers as they move downriver from Kansas City to St. Louis. The September and October cleanup would be the largest endeavor yet for the 10-year-old organization, which works to connect people with the river through cleanup and education events.<br />
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“I’m optimistic floodwaters will recede in time for the cleanup,” program manager Steve Schnarr said. “But September is a long time from now.”<br />
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Schnarr said several factors could determine whether the cleanup gets a green light. The U.S. Coast Guard could shut down the river if floodwaters are well above flood stage, and safety also is a concern.<br />
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The organization generally plans river cleanups that are community-based and volunteer-driven, he said. But it also cautions against placing volunteers on the river or its banks during flooding.<br />
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“Fall could be the perfect time to do a cleanup like this, but we have to do what is safe,” he said.<br />
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If the cleanup does take place, Missouri River Relief would lease a trash barge used for cleanup on the Mississippi River for an estimated $200,000. Walking the Missouri River from its Kansas border to its confluence with the Mississippi River will take volunteers to remote areas the group has never cleaned.<br />
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“A lot of places on the river where trash collects are pretty remote,” Schnarr said. “Most of our cleanups are community-based, so they clean up around their community. It’s not typical that we clean up the remote areas. Having a barge is really the only way to get to these places.”<br />
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Although a barge makes such a large-scale cleanup possible, the cleanup will still be done manually. The barge would move once or twice a week as volunteers make their way down the river, Schnarr said. Flat-bottomed boats would transfer trash from land to a stockpile on the barge.<br />
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Schnarr said he suspects tons of trash will be dropped locally as water recedes. In 2010, more than 2,100 volunteers removed 55 tons of trash from 79 miles of river through Missouri River Relief efforts.<br />
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As a result of flooding, the second annual <a href="http://www.racetothedome.org/">Race to the Dome</a> fundraiser to benefit Missouri River Relief was postponed from today until Oct. 2. Last year’s race drew 99 participants in 66 boats and raised almost $2,000.<br />
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“I’m hoping it can be done by then,” race organizer Patrick Lynn said of the flooding. “It’s one of the better times to get on the river. … But conditions change in November.”<br />
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Participants can choose the original 15.8-mile Hartsburg-to-Jefferson City course or the 26.6-mile Providence access-to-Jefferson City race. The races run simultaneously.Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-44178214757733765642011-07-11T13:12:00.011-05:002011-07-12T14:59:07.482-05:00Missouri River Communities Adjust to the "New Normal": High Water, Soggy Levees and Jitters with Each Rain<i>blogmaster's note: It's been over a week since I published a compilation of links here. I apologize for the lull. -steve</i><br />
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At most gages on the river, except a few just downstream of Kansas City, river levels are dropping or remaining steady. Flood fighting continues at many locations along the river, and attention in many areas is shifting to watching soggy levees and keeping an eye on the weather forecast. Unlike many flood events, a "crest" in the river doesn't mean that a particular location is out of danger from this flood. Consistent or widespread rain can still cause local or downstream river rises while the peak flows continue from the dams. The Corps continues to say that releases from Gavin's Point Dam will remain at 160,000 cfs "well into August". Any heavy rain events in the upper basin could change this.<br />
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According to the Missouri Levee & Drainage Improvement Association, all non-federal primary levees north of Kansas City are overtopped or breached. A major levee in Carroll County, MO, downstream of Kansas City, which protects over ten thousand acres of farmland, is overtopping and residents are fighting the river with massive sandbags (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=242770479083722&set=a.236052829755487.71723.223208304373273&type=1&theater">click here for an map of the levee system</a>). The "crest" here has broken the record set in 1993.<br />
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MODOT is watching US 65 in Carroll County very closely. Levee problems in that area may eventually close this highway and the bridge between Carrollton and Waverly. Current US 65 has one lane open. 9,000 feet of large sand bags have been placed along the highway to try to keep it open. <br />
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Politicians from all affected states are beginning their jockeying to protect their perceived interests as some attention shifts to re-evaluating the management of the river even as the flood continues. While journalists and other stakeholders seem to be looking for a fresh perspective, several politicians seem to be lining up along the familiar upper vs. lower state lines. See articles below for some of the analysis from a variety of newspaper and political sources.<br />
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Here's a compilation of recent links regarding the continued Missouri River flood.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>News Sources</b></span><br />
(see previous posts for more excellent links to facebook pages and news feeds on the ongoing flood)<br />
<a href="http://paper.li/MightyMoRiver/1310136752">MightyMoRiver Gazette</a> - a newspaper style collection of flood news feeds <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Newspaper Special Sections</b></span><br />
Many major papers along the river have created landing pages for the latest on local flood news, photos and videos. Here's a few:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/flood2011/">Bismarck Tribune </a>- Bismarck/Mandan, North Dakota </li>
<li><a href="http://capjournal.com/flood/">Capital Journal </a>- Pierre, South Dakota</li>
<li><a href="http://www.yankton.net/flooding/">Yankton Daily Press-Dakotan</a> - Yankton, South Dakota</li>
<li><a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/special-section/2011_flood/">Sioux City Journal</a> - Sioux City, Iowa</li>
<li><a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110606/NEWS01/110609849">Omaha World-Herald</a> - Omaha, NE/Council Bluffs, IA - The most comprehensive of the Special Sections </li>
<li><a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/2011-flooding/index.html">St. Joseph News-Press</a> - St. Joseph, MO</li>
<li>Kansas City Star - Does not have a special section </li>
<li><a href="http://www.columbiamissourian.com/packages/mo-river-flooding-june/">Columbia Missourian</a> - Columbia, MO</li>
<li><a href="http://www.oneriveroneproblem.com/">St. Louis Post-Dispatch</a> - St. Louis, MO - Their page is called <a href="http://www.oneriveroneproblem.com/">One River, One Problem</a>. It also has a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Oneriveroneproblem?sk=wall">Facebook Page</a> . In addition to posting news stories from the flood, this page is focused on discussions about changing the management of the Missouri River (see below). </li>
</ul><ul></ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Flood Science</b></span><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, July 11, 201</b>1 - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110711/NEWS01/707119937/744">"USGS notes flood's quirks"</a><br />
<b>Columbia Tribune, July5, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/07/05/columbia-usgs-evaluates-effectiveness-public-land-reducing-flood-severity/">Scientist Questions Flood Benefits of Public Land Along Missouri River" </a><i>USGS fluvial geomorphologist Robb Jacobson leads study on flood retention potential of public lands in the floodplain. </i><br />
<b>Associated Press, July 9, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43697564/ns/weather/">"Experts Expect More Missouri River Levee Failures"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aerial Photography & Video</b></span><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.leevalley.net/missouririverflood.htm">Lee Valley Auction </a>- This pilot, whose farm has flooded, has been doing almost daily flights to keep neighbors informed of conditions north of Omaha. <a href="http://www.leevalley.net/missouririverflood.htm">Click here.</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.kptm.com/story/15021650/aerial-view-of-missouri-river">KPTM - Channel 42, Omaha </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/20110706-Mo-flooding.html">Nasa.com - Satellite view of Omaha area</a> - ALSO - <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=51277">Comparison of satellite photos from June 26 and July 4 of Lower Missouri River flooding.</a> ALSO - <a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=51324">Comparison of satellite photos from 2010 and July 10, 2011 of Missouri stretch of the river.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.ketv.com/missouri-river-flooding-extended-coverage/28262596/detail.html">KETV Channel 7 - Omaha</a> - Aerial photos submitted by viewers. </li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Editorial Analysis and Perspectives</b></span><br />
<b>St. Louis Beacon, July 11, 2011 - </b><a href="http://www.stlbeacon.org/region/111535-galloway-missouri-river-floodplain-needs-a-more-comprehensive-plan">"Flood expert Galloway: Missouri River needs comprehensive plan" </a>Former Army Brigadier General Gerald Galloway again brings up ideas promoted in a report he helped write post-1993 flood on reducing flood risk<b>. <a href="http://www.floods.org/PDF/Sharing_the_Challenge.pdf">Click here to download 1994 report, "Sharing the Challenge".</a></b><br />
<b>St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.oneriveroneproblem.com/"> "One River, One Problem"</a> - a series of editorials and discussions on Missouri River management. The series was inspired by a P-D editorial with that title written in 1944 (the year of the Flood Control Act passed by Congress that implemented the Pick-Sloan Plan creating the reservoir system/navigation channel. <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/special-reports/one-river/article_f91d17e6-a45f-11e0-a7a1-001a4bcf6878.html">Click here to read a reprint of the 1944 editorial. </a><br />
<b>Columbia Tribune, July 10, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jul/10/wild-weather-wreaks-havoc-on-corps-plans/">"Wild Weather Wrecks Havoc on Corps' Plans"</a> - a pretty balanced look at the different variables contributing to this flood.<br />
<b>Bismark Tribune, July 9, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_7bbd48ac-a9b9-11e0-a241-001cc4c03286.html">"Making Peace with the Missouri River" </a> <br />
<b>Sioux City Journal, July 9, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">"Tragedy Aside - Flood will benefit knowledge of Missouri River"</a><br />
<b>Marshall Democrat-News, July 5, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.marshallnews.com/blogs/1146/entry/42321/">"Flood of 2011 illuminates question of priorities"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Missouri River Politics</b></span><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, July 11, 2011 - </b><a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/news/28512146/detail.html">"Graves’ amendment points out ‘absurdity’- Corps spends millions more on wildlife than on levees"</a><br />
<b>St. Louis Post-Dispatch, July 10, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_ab6ed9b5-af7f-57ab-b463-b9a394cefe1a.html">"Senators to Meet Over Future of Missouri River" </a><br />
<b>Missouri.net, July 7, 201</b>1 - <a href="http://www.missourinet.com/?s=tom+waters+missouri+river">"Time To Study Levee Districts and the Missouri River Basin?" </a>(audio) State of Missouri Agriculture Director calls for study of levee system.<br />
<b>Associated Press, July 8, 2011</b> - <a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa/article_59b82790-a9a0-11e0-b095-001cc4c002e0.html">"Ag Secretary Questions Corps on Missouri River Flooding" </a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, July 8, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110708/NEWS01/707089919">"Branstead Criticizes River Group"</a><br />
<b>Columbia Tribune, July 6, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jul/06/mccaskill-calls-land-letters-insensitive/"> "McCaskill calls Corps inquiries seeking property along Missouri River insenstitive" </a>Also - Tribune publisher Hank Waters writes a response editorial: <a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jul/09/claire-and-the-corps/">"Claire and the Corps - Politics or Bad Performance?"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Montana</b></span><br />
<b>Billings Gazette, July 11, 201</b>1 - <a href="http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_d5271d92-8f09-536d-89bf-92b0c9321656.html">"A Tour of Fort Peck Dam: An Engineering Marvel Holds Back Massive Missouri River"</a><br />
<b>Billings Gazette, July 11, 2011 </b>-<a href="http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article_11e9e2fa-3249-5a54-9d2c-e4c62122bbee.html"> "Oil Spill Cleanup continues on Yellowstone River" </a><br />
<b>Time Blog, July 11, 2011</b> - <a href="http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/07/11/why-the-yellowstone-oil-spill-is-so-tough-to-clean-up/">"Why Yellowstone Oil Spill So Difficult to Clean Up"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dakotas</b></span><br />
<b>Yankton Press-Dakotan, July 8, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2011/07/08/community/doc4e1679eadeea5569794883.txt">"Dams Burdened by Rain" </a><br />
<b>Sioux City Journal, July 11, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/south-dakota/article_660f918c-7583-5f44-8cde-60a096eae990.html">"Some Along Missouri Wonder Why they Received no Levees"</a><br />
<b>Jamestown Sun, July 8, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.jamestownsun.com/event/article/id/139576/group/Opinion/"> "Officials need to be ready when river returns to "normal""</a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, July 9, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110709/NEWS01/707099894#reservoirs-gain-a-little-room">"Reservoirs Gain a Little Room"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Iowa/Nebraska</b></span><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald - July 11, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110711/NEWS01/707119929#unwelcome-news-for-displaced">"Unwelcome News for Displaced"</a> <br />
<b>KTIV - Channel 4, Sioux City - July 10, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.ktiv.com/story/15055716/sandbags-fighting-more-than-just-floodwaters">"Sandbags fighting more than water"</a> - Sun degradation is yet another force working against temporary flood protection.<br />
<b>Associated Press, July 5, 2011</b> - <a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa/article_9e782871-da16-5f9b-b5d7-06e948541da0.html">"Congested Missouri River Threatens Tributaries" </a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald - July 8, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110708/NEWS01/707089925#more-omahans-get-flood-warnings">"More Omahans Get Flood Warnings" </a><br />
K<b>ETV Channel 7, Omaha - July 6, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.ketv.com/r/28466483/detail.html"> "Aid could come slowly for flood Victims" </a><br />
<b>Omaha World Herald - July 7, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110707/NEWS01/707079866/1009#blasting-of-levee-ok-with-branstad">"Blasting of Levee OK with Branstad" </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kansas/Missouri</b></span><br />
<b>KMZU - 100.7 Carrollton, MO - July 11, 2011 -</b> <a href="http://www.kmzu.com/2011/07/wakenda-levee-breaks/">"Wakenda Levee Breaks"</a><br />
<b>Marshall Democrat-News - July 9, 2011 (Updated July 11)</b> - <a href="http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1742791.html">"Private Levee Overtops in Malta Bend Bottoms" </a><br />
<b>Missouri.net, July 7, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.missourinet.com/2011/07/07/levee-association-chair-on-latest-flood-info/">"Missouri Levee Association Chair Provides Latest Flood Info"</a> (audio story)<br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, July 6, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/2011-flooding/28469311/detail.html">"Flood Fest 2011 to raise funds for relief" </a><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, July 8, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/07/08/3003096/missouri-river-tops-carroll-county.html">"Missouri River overtops Carroll County Levee" </a><br />
P<b>ulaski County News, July 8, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.pulaskicountydaily.com/news.php?viewStory=2843">"Missouri National Guard conducts anti-flood operations in Cooper County in Wooldridge, MO"</a>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-35946762819184295422011-06-29T12:33:00.003-05:002011-06-29T16:10:03.287-05:00Iowa and Nebraska border becomes an inland sea - flood spreads downstreamIt's been said over and over...this flood is unlike any other. Because of the dam system, the Corps of Engineers was able to take the top off a monstrous flood and spread it out over time. So now we have a severe to moderate flood for at least two months straight.<br />
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In communities closer to the dam, it's guaranteed to be high all summer. The further downstream you go, the continuous flooding will be less severe, but the chance exists with a lot of rain for a really massive flood event on top of it all. In addition to the tens of thousands of acres of flooded farmland and rural towns behind failed levees, the more protected urban areas are in for a constant test and struggle off their defenses and infrastructure. This is going to be one tiring summer.<br />
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A major storm Sunday night focused over Northwest Missouri caused a major spike in areas that had been holding steady because of a lack of rain...from the border south. The rains also caused spikes from Sioux City on down. A heavy equipment operator at the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant near Blair, NE, punctured the AquaDam surrounding the plant, causing floodwaters to move up to the building itself and splashing the plant all over national news. According to plant officials, the building itself is watertight for several more feet. Details in stories below.<br />
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It's getting tougher to cross the Missouri River as new bridges are closing each day.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/omahausace/5882230190/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Ditch-6 Levee at Hamburg - June 27, 2011 by MR Joint Information Center, on Flickr"><img alt="Ditch-6 Levee at Hamburg - June 27, 2011" height="161" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/5882230190_c48ba646b3_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamburg, IA, surrounded by temporary levee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Currently, very little rain is forecast in the basin for the next several days, giving a break for communities preparing for bigger water. Levees are breaking like crazy in northern Missouri/Kansas and heading downstream.<br />
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Here's an update on some good news coverage throughout the flood zone:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Some News and Information Aggregate Sites</b></span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Big Muddy News only publishes updates a couple times a week. We're a good place to check in here and there for a pulse of what's going on. But there are a lot of constantly updated sites you can check out for the absolute latest information. In addition, browse previous postings for other great links. Here's a few:</span></span></i><br />
<a href="http://mightymoriver.crowdmap.com/">Missouri River Flood Event and Activities</a> - interactive map of news, flood relief info and volunteer <a href="http://mightymoriver.crowdmap.com/">info:http://mightymoriver.crowdmap.com/</a><br />
<b>On Facebook:</b><br />
<ul><li> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Missouri-River-Flooding-2011/158643600870061">Missouri River Flooding 2011</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MissouriRiverFlood2011">2011 Missouri River Flood</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MoFloodInfo">Missouri Flood Info</a> - a government collaboration</li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MoRiverFlooding?sk=wall">Missouri DNR Missouri River Flooding</a></li>
<li><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/missourilevees">Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association Twitter feed </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/OperationMightyMO">Operation Mighty Mo</a> - Missouri River Joint Information Center</li>
</ul><a href="http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/op-e/flood.html">Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District Flood Page </a>- projections, inundation maps, tips on sandbagging, levee knowledge, more<br />
<a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Flood/index.cfm">Army Corps of Engineers Kansas City District Flood Page</a><br />
<a href="http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mbrfc/?n=RFC_observed">National Weather Service Missouri River Basin Overview</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aerial Photos and video</b></span><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=51201&src=nha">Earth Observatory satellite photos</a>. Notice the urban bottlenecks.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_lOOTPLx_Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player">Stunning You-Tube Video</a> by an airplane passenger landing at Eppley Airfield in Omaha. The plane is approaching from the north on the Iowa side. Note the very skinny channelized river as the plane passes over. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_lOOTPLx_Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player">Click here</a></li>
<li><a href="http://eomahaforums.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=11393">Aerial photos from Omaha area by Brad Williams</a>. Or you can go to his website: <a href="http://www.bradwilliamsphotography.com/flood">www.bradwilliamsphotography.com</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.leevalley.net/missouririverflood.htm">Aerial photos by Lee Valley Auction and Realty</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.disasterrecovery.sd.gov/flood_pics.aspx">Aerial photos posted by South Dakota Disaster Response</a></li>
</ul><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Montana</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>CNN blog, June 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-626476">"Waiting for Snowpack to Melt, How Fast and Furious will the Snowpack Gush into the Missouri River?"</a> <i>According to the Corps of Engineers, </i></span></span><i>the snow above Fort Peck peaked at 141% of normal and is now down to 25% of normal. The snow in the reach between Fort Peck and Garrison (primarily the Yellowstone basin) peaked at 136% and is now down to 27%.</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dakotas</b></span><br />
<b>KSFY-TV - Pierre</b> - <a href="http://www.ksfy.com/category/185294/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5964415&flvUri&partnerclipid">"Local official tried to warn Corps of potential flooding in February"</a> - <i>a story about a local man who had been watching snowpack accumulate in National Weather Service data and tried to spread awareness of the possibility of major flooding. This was before the May rains that changed the game. A well done, non-hysterical local news story.</i><br />
<b>US Army Corps of Engineers - June 28, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/us-army-corps-of-engineers-omaha-district/june-28-2011-corps-to-inspect-spillway-gates-at-big-bend-dam-july-1-2011morivflo/242650889080947">Corps to inspect spillway gates at Big Bend July 1</a> - <i>The Corps will be shutting down the spillway to check for erosion and stability of structure. They anticipate this will take one day. </i><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune - June 28, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_dceb52ee-a1d1-11e0-8b7e-001cc4c03286.html">"Missouri River Scour threatens property, digs deep"</a> <i>Scouring has created spots along Missouri River 100 feet deep. </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Iowa/Nebraska</b></span><br />
<b>Omaha World Herald, June 27, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110627/NEWS01/706279901#flood-test-not-over-for-nuke-plant"> "Flood test not over for nuke plant"</a><br />
<b>Omaha World Herald, June 27, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110627/NEWS01/110629764/36#nrc-chief-stays-dry-at-cooper">"NRC chief stays dry at Cooper plant"</a><br />
<b>Omaha World Herald, June 28, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110628/NEWS01/706289909/1009#nrc-nuke-disaster-risk-low">"NRC: Nuke disaster risk low"</a> after visiting Fort Calhoun plant<br />
<b>Omaha World Herald, June 29, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110629/NEWS01/706299924#bridge-stroll-a-lesson-on-river">"Bridge stroll a lesson on the river" </a>Teachers use the flood as a teaching tool.<br />
<b>KETC-Channel 7 - Omaha, June 28, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.ketv.com/r/28393040/detail.html#.Tgtl0HoqsNw.facebook">"Bluffs residents fight flood from below - Water reported in hundreds of basements in city" </a><br />
<b>Sioux City Journal, June 28, 2011</b> - <a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/article_89e054f1-53ed-50bb-999d-89dc5e95c2dd.html">"All's quiet in Decatur with bridge closed"</a><br />
<b>Reuters, June 27, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/27/us-flooding-nuclear-idUSTRE75P1VJ20110627">"Regulator signs off on threatened Cooper nuclear plant"</a><br />
<b>Associated Press, June 27, 2011 (video)</b> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8JqACkhKM4&feature=player_embedded">"Flood Challenges nuclear plant"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Missouri/Kansas</b></span><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, June 27, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/2011-flooding/28370037/detail.html">"Flooding Closes Casino"</a><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, June 28, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/2011-flooding/28381259/detail.html">"Officials fight flooding river"</a><i> Including photos of casino employees cars flooded in parking lot.</i><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, June 28, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/2011-flooding/28386434/detail.html">"As flood closes highway bridge, Atchison residents worry"</a><i> Atchison, KS, cut off from Missouri. </i><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, June 27, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/27/2979100/information-on-flood-flows-in.html">"Information on Flood flows many ways"</a> - <i>Social media helps spread important information along with misinformation. </i><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, June 28, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/28/2981741/businesses-get-ready-for-missouri.html#storylink=omni_popular">"Businesses get ready for Missouri River flooding"</a><br />
<b>Columbia Missourian, June 29, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/06/28/missouri-river-flood-coopers-landing/">"Missouri River Flooding Closes one road to Cooper's Landing" </a><i>Actually both roads are covered right now. Waters should begin dropping this weekend. </i><br />
<b>Lake News Online, June 28, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.lakenewsonline.com/news/x381615491/Flooding-on-Missouri-River-slows-down-Bagnell-Dam-Plant-procedures">"Flooding on Missouri Slows down Bagnell Dam operations" </a><i><br />
</i>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-13068359171382417112011-06-26T11:37:00.002-05:002011-06-26T11:50:26.092-05:00160,000 cfs to continue until mid-AugustOnce again, substantial rain in the upper basin, as well as the lower river, forced the Corps to bump up their Gavin Point dam releases to 160,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). They now say this new peak flow will continue "well into August". Revisions of the projected flood inundation maps will be released soon. Releases are being adjusted constantly throughout the reservoir system as the Corps tries to make room for new pulses of runoff while providing a steady flow out of Gavin's Point Dam. <br />
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Many more levees have broken and overtopped, floodwaters are backing up into new areas and up the tributaries. Several more towns have been evacuated. With rain on top of that, the hydrological projections have been gyrating and changing with each new projection. That uncertainty on top of the certainty that this will go on all summer is a tough combination for everyone that lives or works along the river.<br />
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It appeared earlier this week that levee breaches dropped the "crest" enough at Brownville to keep the beseiged Cooper Nuclear Plant from reaching their "mandatory shutdown" river stage of 45.5 feet. Yet after a brief trough, the projection goes up again. Towns in the St. Joseph area experienced the same reprieve.<br />
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The Iowa & Nebraska border has become an inland sea pinched off by an hourglass bottleneck at Omaha/Council Bluffs. An inland sea moving downstream but not going away anytime soon.<br />
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Dramatic images of Nebraska's two nuclear power plants surrounded by water have helped fuel some wild rumors. There is a section below of stories related to these plants. <br />
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One by one, communities downriver are adding flood protection, or moving out. The uncertainty of what will happen is forcing decisions to take action now. All river traffic has been closed by the Coast Guard from Leavenworth to Gavin's Point Dam. <br />
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The tenacity and hard work of family, neighbors and volunteers has been a major part of the story in this midwest region. There is a lot of frustration, of course, and the blame game is ongoing, but mostly people realize the reality of the situation and are acting on their own to deal with it. It's pretty inspiring, and what some of these communities have accomplished in short times is amazing. <br />
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A lot is being published on the web on the flood, despite the relative silence in much of the national media. There are several great news feeds, both from official sources and the general public. I've posted many of these in previous posts. Here's a collection of stories and links from the past several days:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Interactive Flood Maps</b></span><br />
<i>link to news stories, volunteer info and more</i><br />
<a href="http://mightymoriver.crowdmap.com/">Missouri River Flood & Event Activities</a> - a volunteer-based information "Crowdmap" network on the flood <br />
<a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110612/news01/110619970#interactive-floodmap">Interactive Flood Map</a> - Omaha World-Herald updates each day: shows county by county updates of Iowa/Nebraska flooding<br />
<a href="http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mbrfc/?n=RFC_observed">Advanced Hydrological Predictions - Missouri River Basin </a>- click the colored dot to link to hydrograph. <br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/op-e/WaterMgt/Below%20Gavins%20-%20Range%20of%20Flows%20and%20Stages%20-%20Final.pdf">Updated projections by Corps for each gage along river taking into account new 160 kcfs reality. </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/html/op-e/maps.html">Updated inundation maps from Corps Omaha District</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Flood/InundationMaps.cfm">Updated inundation maps from Corps Kansas City District</a></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Montana</b></span><br />
Great Falls Tribune, June 24, 2011 - <a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110624/NEWS01/106240326/0/NEWS0102&theme=FLOODING/Flooding-likely-to-return-to-Montana">"Flooding Likely to Return to Montana"</a><br />
Story from June 6, 2011 - for perspective on the snowmelt we are now experiencing - Bismarck Tribune - <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_c008f1ec-9072-11e0-b322-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1QIo7n1NY">"Abominable Snowpack Lurking in Montana Mountains" </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dakotas</b></span><br />
<b>Pierre Capital Journal, June 24, 2011</b> -<a href="http://capjournal.com/articles/2011/06/25/flood/doc4e03cdd79bb58129865649.txt"> "High Tributary Flows Due to Heavy Rain Near Pierre"</a><br />
<b>Associated Press, June 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/f59b0fcc7a7d4725ae3947ce59a425fa/SD--SD-Flooding-Governor/">"SD Gov. Dennis Daugaard takes lead role in Missouri River flood fight"</a><br />
<b>Yankton Press-Dakotan, June 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2011/06/24/community/doc4e040d4e85a98756111451.txt">"Flows Of 160,000 cfs Threaten More Yankton-Area Homes"</a><br />
<b>Yankton Press-Dakotan, June 25, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2011/06/26/community/doc4e05592a437aa401340581.txt">"Residents rush to fix levees"</a><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune, June 25, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_d76b606a-9e99-11e0-85b8-001cc4c03286.html#ixzz1QOX5ys8t"> "Groups begin planning for flood aftermath of tree die-offs"</a><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune, June 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_f1cf2d7a-9e8e-11e0-9f3e-001cc4c002e0.html">"Voluntary Evacuations to continue indefinitely"</a><br />
<b>Pierre Capital Journal, June 25, 2011</b> - <a href="http://capjournal.com/articles/2011/06/25/breaking_news/doc4e05152446929510618888.txt">"Oahe Reservoir to peak 2/10 of a foot from top of spillway gates"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Iowa/Nebraska</b></span><br />
The Omaha World Herald has run a really good series of background articles following up recent days rain -<br />
<ul><li><b>June 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110626/NEWS01/706269894#may-rains-were-real-kicker-in-big-water-year">"May rains were real kicker in big water year"</a> - a Q&A with Corps officials to gain perspective on the amount of water in the system. </li>
<li><b>June 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110626/NEWS01/706269896#where-the-water-comes-from-how-it-s-used">"Where the water comes from, how it’s used"</a> - a breakout of the percentages of how and for what uses the reservoir system stores or releases water. </li>
<li><b>June 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110626/NEWS01/706269898#flooding-the-worst-is-yet-to-come">"Flooding: The worst is yet to come"</a> </li>
<li><b>June 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110626/NEWS01/706269890#rain-breaches-multiply-worries">"Rain, breaches multiply worries"</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110612/news01/110619970#interactive-floodmap">Interactive Flood Map</a> - shows county by county updates of Iowa/Nebraska flooding</li>
<li><b>June 25, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110625/NEWS01/706259854#filling-sandbags-while-they-can"> "Filling sandbags while they can"</a></li>
<li><b>June 25, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110625/NEWS01/110629819#heavy-rains-flood-omaha-streets">"Heavy rains fill Omaha Streets"</a></li>
</ul><b>Reuters, June 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/24/us-flooding-aerial-idUSTRE75N6GJ20110624">"Above the Missouri River, only treetops and rooftops" </a><br />
<b>Council Bluffs Daily Nonpariel, June 25, 2011</b> - <a href="http://southwestiowanews.com/articles/2011/06/25/council_bluffs/doc4e053920b2875456945750.txt">"FLOOD: Farmers, officials join forces to fortify levees, keep water at bay" </a>- <i>volunteers and officials rebuild over 30 miles of levees in area north of Council Bluffs. </i><br />
<b>Lincon Journal-Star, June 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_378a7a98-36ef-530d-98c6-4e40a873542d.html">"It's season of flooding, finger-pointing for Corps of Engineers"</a><br />
<b>Wallace's Farmer, June 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://mobile.wallacesfarmer.com/main.aspx?ascxid=cmsNewsStory&rmid=0&rascxid=&args=&rargs=9&dt=634446701613646000&cmsSid=50659&cmsScid=9">"Flooded Farmers reassured by USDA Risk Management Agency"</a> - <i>Flood insurance will apply to this event for farmers. The other side of the coin is the many people who never anticipated a flood, weren't in a federal floodplain but are flooded. </i><br />
<b>Sioux City Journal, June 25, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/a1/article_f1728142-8ae9-5a93-94a5-657b652eacef.html">"Truckers driving more to accommodate I-29 flooding detours''</a><br />
<b>Sioux City Journal, June 26, 2011</b> -<a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/a1/article_295424dd-01a6-5f07-8df6-b8fbbb5ea4e7.html"> "EXPLAINER: How Americans came to rely on the sandbag" </a><br />
<b>PHOTOS - Sioux City Journal, June 23, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/collection_521ad664-4c0e-5b0f-9253-f5e41f756eb1.html#0">Flooding in South Sioux City</a><br />
<b>Des Moines Register, June 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110626/OPINION03/106260305/-1/gallery_array/Missouri-River-Compromise">"Opinion - Missouri River Compromise" </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Updates on Cooper and Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plants</b></span><br />
<b>Iowa Independant, June 24, 2011</b> -<a href="http://iowaindependent.com/57751"> "NRC spokesman: No need for Nebraska spent nuclear fuel casks to be protected"</a><br />
<b>Associated Press, June 24, 201</b>1 - <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_d14670e6-9e79-11e0-930a-001cc4c03286.html">"Nebraska nuclear plant gets relief from levee breach"</a><br />
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<b>Wall St. Journal, June 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304569504576406163159603654.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">"Nuclear Regulator to visit Nebraska Plants Amid Flooding"</a><br />
<b>Bulletin of Atomic Scientists </b>- <a href="http://thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/dawn-stover/rising-water-falling-journalism">"Rising Water, Falling Journalism" </a><br />
<b>US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Public Relations</b> - <a href="http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/2011/06/17/rumors-and-the-rising-river/">"Rumors and the Rising River"</a><br />
<b>Ashville Citizen-Times, June, 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/2011/06/17/rumors-and-the-rising-river/">"Floods spur wild rumors of nuclear plant perils in Nebraska"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kansas/Missouri</b></span><br />
<b>St. Joseph Channel 3 - June 24, 2011</b> - <a href="http://stjoechannel.com/fulltext-news/?nxd_id=208757">"Atchison County Residents Worn Out by Floodwater" </a>with video<br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press - June 25, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/localnews/28359230/detail.html">"Nasty Stuff - Public Advised to Stay Away from Floodwaters"</a><br />
<b>St. Jopeph News-Press - June 25, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/localnews/28359228/detail.html">"Trying to make a living - Businesses affected by flood find day-to-day operations difficult"</a> - <i>A 27 mile commute becomes a 150 mile commute with road closures.</i><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, June 24, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/24/2973736/levee-break-upstream-delays-flooding.html">"Levee break upstream delays flooding near Kansas City" & "Corps letter causes dust-up"</a><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, June 25, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/25/2975189/levee-breaches-continue.html">"Levee breaches continue"</a><br />
<b>Columbia Missourian, June 24, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/06/24/rocheport-lays-barrier-along-katy-trail-preparation-high-river-levels/">"Flood barriers placed along Katy Trail in Rocheport"</a> <i>It's a precaution. This river town is still open for business and Katy Trail is open. </i><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, June 26, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/25/2974964/missouri-river-flooding-is-taking.html">"Missouri River is taking toll on recreation" </a><i><br />
</i>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-77041485004719988982011-06-21T13:15:00.005-05:002011-06-21T17:09:01.214-05:00Some dams increase to 160,000cfs; more levees fail in Iowa and MissouriRain (and predicted rain) in the upper plains states have caused the Corps of Engineers to ramp up releases of water from Oahe and Big Bend reservoirs to 160,000 cfs. In their nightly briefing, the Corps said, "If weather continues to deteriorate the Corps will lose its ability to manage intra-system adjustments and may have to increase releases from Fort Randall and Gavins Point".The releases combined with rain have increased flooding in the Pierre, SD area. Rainfall also has caused small spikes in the river in the Sioux City area and below.<br />
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The Corps releases daily average inflow and outflow at each dam, and on Monday, June 20, 4 out of the 6 dams in the system were receiving much more water than they were releasing. <br />
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Over the weekend, several levees breached or began overtopping near the Iowa/Missouri border, flooding areas near Big Lake, Craig and Rockport, MO, and Brownville, NE. The Coast Guard closed an additional 100 miles of the river to all navigation. The river is now closed from St. Joseph (rivermile 450) to Gavin's Point Dam (rivermile 811).<br />
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Sandbagging has been ongoing along the Nebraska/Iowa border, and sand supplies are getting low in Omaha and Sioux City. Infrastructure continues to be strained, with sewer and drainage problems increasing as many outflows to the river are closed. 30% of Nebraska's power production is offline due to flooding. Huge swaths of agricultural land are flooded in Nebraska, Iowa and northern Missouri. All bridges crossing the river south of Plattsmouth and north of St. Joseph are closed due to flooding on their entrance ramps. Many highway and road closures, including sections of I-29, are causing major travel delays across the region. <br />
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Nebraska's two nuclear power plants have been the source of a lot of attention as well as rampant rumors. Currently, power officials say both plants have flooding contained. A quick 2 foot rise in the river on Sunday near Brownville put that gage in record territory, and brought the Cooper Nuclear Plant within one foot of the stage at which the plant goes into shutdown mode. <br />
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In mid-Missouri, the river remains high but not in danger of serious flooding yet. For lower reaches of the river, it will take substantial rain to bring the river to the levels predicted by the Corps of Engineers. Farmers are already suffering from seepage and lack of drainage in their fields.<br />
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Here's some links to news stories throughout the basin (scroll to previous posts for more general links):<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>River Behavior & Background</b></span><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 18, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110618/NEWS01/706189893#flood-changing-river-channel">"Floods changing river channel"</a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 21, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110621/NEWS01/706219917#rain-the-wild-card-in-flooding">"Rain the wild card in flooding"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Montana</b></span><br />
<b>Vancouver Sun, June 19, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Canadian+antelope+stranded+high+waters+after+epic+winter/4971776/story.html"> "Antelope stranded by high waters after epic winter"</a><br />
<b>Great Falls Tribune, June 16, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110616/NEWS01/106160302/0/NEWS0102&theme=FLOODING/Floodwaters-could-help-establish-iconic-cottonwood-trees-along-Missouri-River">"Floods could help regenerate iconic cottonwoods" </a><br />
<b>Journal Star (Lincoln, NE), June 17, 2011 -</b> "Dear Nebraska: Sorry about water, but more on the way. Love, Montana"<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dakotas</b></span><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune, June 20, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_93cb036e-9b89-11e0-8331-001cc4c03286.html">"Next 72 hours critical in flood fight" </a><br />
<b>Pierre Capital Journal, June 21, 2011</b> - <a href="http://capjournal.com/articles/2011/06/21/flood/doc4dfce67f20761705904439.txt">"Pierre, Fort Pierre prepare for 160,000 cfs"</a><br />
<b>Rapid City Journal, June 20, 2011 </b>-<a href="http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_224526f0-9af5-11e0-84b8-001cc4c03286.html"> "Corps caught in the middle"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nebraska/Iowa</b></span><br />
<i>For constant updates and lots of photos and video, check out local newspaper flood pages:</i><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110621/NEWS01/706219947">Omaha World-Herald</a></li>
<li><a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/special-section/2011_flood/">Sioux City Journal</a></li>
</ul><b>Sioux City Journal, June 21, 2011 - </b><a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/briefs/article_73326415-b74c-55d4-ba91-1bacb6c9fed9.html">"Rains to push Big Sioux River at Sioux City to near 1993 crest"</a> - the Big Sioux is a major tributary of the Missouri that runs through eastern South Dakota and enters the Missouri River just north of Sioux City, just downstream of Dakota Dunes. <br />
<b>Sioux City Journal, June 21, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/a1/article_ea5b0cf7-fdd1-59cb-a39b-1d9358d33ef3.html">"Severe weather? Higher dam releases? Brown has a plan for that"</a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 20, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110620/NEWS01/706209922#cooper-was-near-flood-shutdown">"Cooper was near shutdown" </a><br />
<b>Reuters, June 20, </b> - <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/20/us-flooding-plains-idUSTRE75H1SX20110620">"Missouri flood closes 100 miles of bridges"</a><br />
<b>Wallace's Farmer </b>- <a href="http://mobile.wallacesfarmer.com/main.aspx?ascxid=cmsNewsStory&rmid=0&rascxid=&args=&rargs=9&dt=634442577943149494&lid=a8yebu2d9qxnz7lo&adms=634442577941589491Xe44050d71a&cmsSid=50485&cmsScid=9">"Farmers Voice Opinions On Missouri River Flooding" </a><i>US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilseck tells flooded farmers budget realities mean they shouldn't expect more disaster relief from Washington. </i><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald </b>- <a href="http://odc.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=5002&p=2590">Aerial flood photos</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Missouri/Kansas</b></span><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, June 20, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/localnews/28302585/detail.html">"Craig residents asked to evacuate"</a><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, June 19, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/19/2961581/missouri-river-overtops-levees.html">"Missouri River overtops levees in Holt, Atchison Counties"</a><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, June 19, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/17/2958031/coast-guard-closes-100-more-miles.html">"Coast Guard closes 100 more miles of Missouri River" </a><i>bringing total closure from rivermile 450 near St. Joseph to the Gavin's Point Dam</i><br />
<b>St. Joseph News-Press, June 18, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/2011-flooding/28285379/detail.html">"Lord willing and the creek don't rise"</a><br />
<b>KOMU, Channel 8, Columbia June 19, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.komu.com/news/wooldridge-evacuating-in-preparation-for-flooding/">"Wooldridge Evacuating in Preparation for Flooding"</a><br />
<b>Missouri News Horizon, June 21, 2011</b> - <a href="http://missouri-news.org/featured/corps-general-comes-to-missouri-capital/6161">"Corps General comes to Missouri Capital"</a>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-71820770589316613452011-06-15T16:18:00.005-05:002011-06-16T14:46:57.553-05:00150,000 cfs - the long flood fight has just begunOn Tuesday, June 14th, the Corps of Engineers brought releases at Gavin's Point dam up to 150,000 cfs. Releases are expected to stay there until at least mid-August, according to the latest Corps announcements. Rain continues to fall in the upper basin, and rain storms (not extreme) have been moving through the lower basin all week, expected to continue through to the weekend.<br />
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Levees and banks, expecially temporary sandbag and earthen levees are now being tested, and will continue to be tested as the summer onslaught continues. Levees have been breached near Hamburg, IA, and in Holt County, MO. Throughout the areas receiving the most intense flooding, the Dakotas, Nebraska and Iowa, it is agricultural land and rural communities that are the most hard hit. Urban areas are generally more protected, but are feeling the effects of road and interstate closures, utility infrastructure flooding, tributary flooding and bank erosion. The aerial photos being posted on the web (some linked below) are stunning.<br />
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The further downstream in Missouri you go, the less intense the threat is. Rainfall in tributaries such as the Grand has been less intense than the past several years, giving a cushion to downstream areas. It appears that a baseline for mid-Missouri, for example, is coming in below the Corps estimates. At least for the moment. Large snowmelt is expected in the Platte valley and new releases are being let out of Kansas River basin reservoirs ahead of the major water on the Missouri, and to release pressure on reservoirs such as the Milford Dam. The Corps continues to draw down Truman Lake on the Osage.<br />
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Here's some links to check out the latest on flooding:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Facebook </b></span><br />
There are several really good Facebook pages focused on the flood, posting news stories from around the basin as well as information on sandbagging, relief efforts and Corps press releases. Here's a few I've been looking at:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/5833927841_3f68030c93.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/5833927841_3f68030c93.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Missouri-River-Flooding-2011/158643600870061">Missouri River Flooding 2011 - a good news feed</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MissouriRiverFlood2011">2011 Missouri River Flood</a> - a community page</li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/MoFloodInfo?sk=wall">Missouri Flood Info </a>- public service page for state of Missouri </li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/OperationMightyMO">Operation Mighty Mo</a> - the official page of the Missouri River Joint Information Center</li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/OmahaUSACE">US Army Corps of Engineers - Omaha District</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/usace.kcd">US Army Corps of Engineers - Kansas City District</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/teamsaintlouis">US Army Corps of Engineers - St. Louis District</a></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aerial Photography</b></span><br />
<ul><li> <a href="http://www.leevalley.net/missouririverflood.htm">Lee County Auctions (private plane - areas near Decatur and Blair)</a> - includes photos of Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant surrounded by water. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.disasterrecovery.sd.gov/flood_pics.aspx">South Dakota Disaster Recovery photos</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnE3pbxmSaQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player">Aerial video of Omaha/Council Bluffs </a></li>
<li><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/104592539075472798431/TheGreatMissouriRiverFloodOf2011#">Photos posted by Larry Geiger of Omaha to Gavin's. </a></li>
<ul><li><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/104592539075472798431/TheGreatMissouriRiverFloodOf2011#5618512511746573426">This is a stunning one of I-29 north of Omaha looking south toward the city. </a></li>
</ul></ul><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Corps Response</b></span><br />
Brigadier General McMahon explains how Master Manual guided decisions during winter and spring. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/notes/us-army-corps-of-engineers-omaha-district/june-12-2011-brigadier-general-mcmahon-master-manual-guides-regulation-of-missou/230380890307947">Click here. </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Montana</b></span><br />
<b>Great Falls Tribune, June 13, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110613/NEWS01/106130301/Fort-Peck-officials-work-stay-ahead">"Fort Peck officials work to stay ahead"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dakotas</b></span><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune, June 13, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_7e9ca258-93ab-11e0-8c9a-001cc4c002e0.html">"Flood Pollution will be minimal, experts say"</a> - the article suggests the large flows should dilute toxins, then describes all of the things that are bound to end up in the river.<br />
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<a href="http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/video-canoe-tour-of-missouri-river-flooding-in-bismarck/">Video of canoe trip through flooded Bismarck</a> - <b>Say Anything Blog - June 14, 2011</b> - <a href="http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/video-canoe-tour-of-missouri-river-flooding-in-bismarck/">Click here.</a><br />
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<b>Sioux Falls Argus Leader</b> - <a href="http://www.argusleader.com/videonetwork/988823469001/Residents-deal-with-high-water-on-Missouri-River">"Residents deal with high water" </a>- touching video of interviews with Dakotans fighting the flood. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nebraska-Iowa</b></span><br />
<b>Hamburg Reporter, June 15, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.hamburgreporter.com/features/x607303292/Update-Breach-grows-new-estimates-indicates-temporary-levee-near-Hamburg-may-be-topped">"Update: Breach grows; new estimates indicates temporary levee near Hamburg may be topped"</a><br />
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<b>KETV Channel 7, Omaha, constantly updated </b>- <a href="http://ulocal.ketv.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=62922&sortType=recent&includePhoto=on&keywords=%22flooding%22&widgetId=337078&d-7095067-p=1">Gallery of viewer submitted photos </a><b></b><br />
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<b>Sioux City Journal, June 15, 2011</b> - <a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/vmix_5100c155-af59-559e-81e7-ba9e4a77eac2.html">aerial video tour of Siouxland area </a><br />
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<b>Keloland TV, June 15, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=116758"> "Big Sioux Floods Missouri River Boat Club"</a><br />
<b>Keloland TV, June 15, 2011 -</b> <a href="http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=116762">"Missouri eating away at small river community" </a><br />
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<b>Iowa Public Radio, June 15, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.radioiowa.com/2011/06/15/engineer-doubts-levees-will-hold-against-missouri-river-water/">"Engineer doubts temporary levees will hold back floodwater" </a><br />
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<b>Omaha World-Herald, continuously updated</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110612/NEWS01/110619970#interactive-missouri-river-flood-map">"County by County map and flood impact updates"</a> - a great at-a-glance resource. <br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 15, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110615/NEWS01/706159892#eppley-fights-off-floodwaters">"Eppley fights off floodwaters"</a> - the Omaha airport tries to keep floodwaters out. <br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 15, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110615/NEWS01/706159894#heineman-s-worry-will-levees-hold">"Heineman's worry: Will Levees Hold?"</a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 11, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110611/NEWS01/706119921#policyholders-get-late-surprise">"Policyholders get late surprise"</a><br />
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<b>Des Moines Register, June 10, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110611/NEWS/106110331/0/NEWS13/?odyssey=nav%7Chead">"Branstead Chides Corps Missouri River management"</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/video/?id=315076253420">Videos of Hamburg Levee Breach</a> posted by <b>Atchison County Emergency Management</b>. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/video/?id=315076253420">Click here.</a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Missouri </span></b><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, June 12, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/12/2945525/volunteers-hard-at-work-filling.html">"All hands on deck in St. Joseph"</a> -<br />
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<b>St. Joseph News-Press, June 8, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.newspressnow.com/localnews/28178031/detail.html">"Power Plants Prepare for Flooding"</a><br />
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<b>Marshall Democrat-News, June 14, 2011 </b>-<a href="http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1736061.html"> "Expected flood of 2011 may be less dramatic, more chronic than 1993"</a><br />
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<b>KRCG 13 TV, June 14, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.connectmidmissouri.com/news/story.aspx?id=629333"> "Mid-Missouri officials prepare for Missouri River flooding"</a><br />
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<b>St. Louis Post Dispatch, June 15, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/political-fix/article_97015680-977b-11e0-9775-001a4bcf6878.html">"Senator Blunt blames Missouri River flooding on 'faulty plan'"</a> and then proceeds to spread more misinformation blaming endangered species. Unbelievably, he claims the Corps was holding water for their "Spring Rise" plan. Hopefully as this event proceeds, our policy makers will eventually be educated on the reality of the Missouri River. <br />
<b>St. Louis Post Dispatch, June 13, 2011 -</b> <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_82094e53-cde0-5cdd-916a-26a04a8d2e72.html">"Army Corps of Engineers defends handling of Missouri River"</a><br />
<b>St. Louis Post Dispatch, June15, 2011 -</b> <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_7934d47c-748f-5eab-8b4b-4fdc080ad92a.html">"Flooding not expected to be heavy in St. Louis area, Corps says"</a>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-84004229585344579242011-06-10T10:23:00.004-05:002011-06-10T10:48:01.539-05:00Gavin's releases approach 140 kcfs, new levees being tested As flows from Gavin's Point Dam approach 140 kcfs (thousand cubic feet per second), new levees and sandbag structures are being tested throughout South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska. In addition to flooding of riverside homes and businesses, utilities and infrastructure are being tested in many communities. From water supplies, wastewater plants and train routes to interstate closures and electric plants, eyes are watching the rising floodwaters and the effects it will have on commerce and basic services. See below for frightening video of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant, which is already surrounded by water. <br />
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Lower on the river, Missouri communities are attempting to prepare for predicted high flows which, because of relatively dry weather and low flowing tributaries, have not yet manifested. Rain is currently falling in Nebraska, Iowa and northwestern Missouri, heightening the chances for increased tributary flow. <b><br />
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<b>Missouri River Flooding 2011 Facebook page</b><br />
This page is doing a good job posting news stories several times a day from communities struggling with flooding. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Missouri-River-Flooding-2011/158643600870061">Click here. </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Perspectives</b></span><br />
<i>A few editorials regarding the flood</i><br />
<b>Bismarck Tribune, June 9, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_cc42ad84-920e-11e0-805c-001cc4c002e0.html">Time to revive Mo River study?</a>" - Brian Gehring<br />
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<b>St. Louis Post Dispatch, June 7, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/article_2b1eeca2-e701-51dd-83c2-f7bcc81845a4.html">Guest Commentary: The looming Missouri River dam flood</a>" - Bernard Shanks<br />
<i>This is a frightening warning about the vulnerability of the dam system (specifically Fort Peck dam in Montana) to unprecedented reservoir levels and stress. The Corps continues to state that the reservoirs, under constant surveillance, are in good shape and performing as expected. In addition, the liquefaction fear that Shanks reports is mainly due to earthquakes, not water pressure. Still, fear of dam failure is a real concern...just not the most immediate concern to worry about right now. </i><br />
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<b>Great Plains Examiner, June 9, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://www.greatplainsexaminer.com/2011/06/09/without-answers-from-corps-public-blames-flood-on-plovers/">Without answers from Corps, public blames flood on plovers</a>" <i></i><br />
<i>A good look at some of the parameters the Corps is working under. However, the Corps <b>has</b> been explaining the unprecedented nature of the late spring snow pack and May Montana flooding, which is the real cause of the huge runoff numbers. We'd like to see what kind of spring releases would have been required to avoid these current releases - and suspect that there is no realistic scenario that would have avoided this. </i><i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Montana</b></span><br />
<b>Associated Press, June 8, 2011 </b>- "<a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gG0RqDJa1vcam3Omh5Od-jHKuwUA?docId=305135f91e0f43fe939df29050c11792">Montana town floods for second time in 2 weeks</a>"<br />
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<b>Channel 3 KRTV, Great Falls, MT, June 8, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://www.krtv.com/news/fort-peck-dam-to-increase-water-releases-again/">Fort Peck Dam to increase water releases again</a>"<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dakotas</b></span><br />
<b>KXTV, Bismarck, ND. June 9, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://www.kxnet.com/getArticle.asp?ArticleId=788299">River Speed</a>"<br />
<i>Officials monitor river speed. Lower speed will mean a delta is forming downstream and river stages will rise.</i><br />
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<b>KFYR, Bismarck, ND. June 9, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=49849">Flooding Concerns around nuclear missles</a>"<i><br />
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<b>Sioux Falls Argus Leader, June 8, 2011 </b>- "<a href="http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110609/NEWS/106090317/Some-river-towns-savor-high-water">Some towns savor high water</a>"<br />
<i>Fishing communities along lakes seeing increase in recreation with higher water.</i><br />
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<b>Yankton Press Dakotan, June 9, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2011/06/09/community/doc4df0f48c953a2894199768.txt">Yankton suspends sandbagging operations</a>"<br />
<a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2011/06/10/community/doc4df19477d2219035298508.txt">"Fact or Fiction: Corps says dams are in good shape" </a><br />
<a href="http://www.ustream.tv/channel/gavins-point-dam">Live Gavin's Point Dam webcam. </a><br />
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<b>Aerial photography from Wilcox Flying Service: </b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/AgPilot10">Agpilot10's YouTube Channel. </a><br />
<i>A series of stunning photographs of areas above Gavin's Point Dam. </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Iowa-Nebraska</b></span><br />
There's a lot of news, video and photographs being generated in the reaches below the Gavin's point dam to Omaha. A good place to start is the Sioux City Journal Flood Section and Omaha World-Herald Flood Section:<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/special-section/2011_flood/">Sioux City Journal special flood section</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110606/NEWS01/110609849">Omaha World Herald special flood section (with tons of great emergency and info links)</a></li>
</ul><b>KTIV Sioux City, June 8, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.ktiv.com/story/14871240/raw">Aerial tour of flooding Siouxland area</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ktiv.com/story/14871472/mercy-medical-center-gives-news-4-a-look-from-the-air-of-the-rising-missouri-river-in-siouxland">Click here for another aerial view of Siouxland. </a><br />
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<b>Corps of Engineers Press Release, June 9, 2011 </b>- "Corps announces higher than expected flood crest stage on Missouri River at Blair, Neb."<br />
<i>This announcement does not affect the flooding inundation maps released by the Corps or the flow projections, just the project height of the flooding at this gage station.</i><br />
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<b>Omaha World Herald, June 10, 2011</b> -<a href="http://omaha.com/article/20110610/NEWS01/706109869#stretches-of-i-29-i-680-close"> "Stetches of I-29, I-680 close</a>" <br />
<i>Several I-29 closures are expected between Missouri border and Sioux City, IA.</i><br />
June 8, 2011 - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110608/NEWS01/706089886#platte-too-may-pack-a-punch">"Platte too may pack a punch" </a><br />
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<b>Channel 3 TV, Omaha, June 8, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.action3news.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=5930032&h1=Flooding+Nuclear+Power+Station+Property&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=116166&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&rnd=56940747">video on the flooding and emergency declaration at Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant near Blair. </a><br />
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<b>Lincoln Journal Star, June 8, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/article_45266bc7-4544-5b0f-b66c-167ca251f9b6.html">Plattsmouth officials concerned about potable drinking water</a>" <br />
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Des Moines Register, June 8, 2011 - "<a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110609/NEWS/106090326/-1/COMIC/The-Missouri-River-flood-battle-county-by-county-look-">County by County look at Missouri River flood battle</a>"<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Missouri/Kansas</b></span><br />
<b>KMOX TV - St. Louis, June 8, 2011</b> - "<a href="http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/06/08/few-preparing-for-possible-flooding-on-missouri-river-here/">Few Preparing for Possible Flooding on Missouri River Here</a>" <br />
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<b>Columbia Tribune - June 9, 2011 </b>- "<a href="http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/jun/09/river-areas-step-up-plans-for-flood-prep/">River Areas step up flood prep</a>"<br />
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<b>Parkville Luminary - June 10, 2011</b> -<a href="http://www.parkvilleluminary.com/search/label/Parkville%20Flood"> a series of stories about flood preparations. </a>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-40865682197235195482011-06-06T13:54:00.001-05:002011-06-06T13:54:58.630-05:00Dam releases spike over weekendFollowing their plan of evacuating high runoff through the Missouri River reservoir system, the Corps of Engineers began accellerating releases from a string of mainstem dams this weekend. In order to give communities time to react to the impending flooding, the Corps had slowed the increase in releases last week. Late last week, those releases began to accelerate again. <br />
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Rain continues to fall in the upper basin, but the Corps has not publicly changed their reservoir operation schedule at this time. A spat of dry weather in the lower basin has given a moment of relief for lower river communities preparing for a summer of high water.<br />
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As the stakes have risen, various theories of blame have been tossed around, from blaming the Corps of Engineers for not releasing enough water this winter to blaming "upstream states" for fighting to hold too much water in the reservoirs for recreation to blaming the Endangered Species Act for somehow tying the Corps' hands. None of these scenarios is really true. The Corps followed their Master Manual, designed to leave plenty of room in the reservoirs to handle snowmelt and runoff. The runoff this year is unprecedented in timing and scale. The endangered species on the river had no impact on the Corps release decisions.<br />
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The event is a natural disaster controlled and mitigated by the dam system. What would have been a devastating relatively quick flood is being turned into a slow-motion, long-term but lower scale disaster. The dam system took a huge pulse of water and has squished it's crest, instead drawing it out over time. Below are a few articles attempting to take historical stock of the situation.<br />
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The first lower-river levee breaches have occurred near Hamburg, IA, a sign of things to come. <br />
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In typical disaster confusion, newspapers across the country reported that the entire Missouri River had been closed to recreational traffic by the Coast Guard. This was later revised to say that the Missouri River from Kansas City to St. Louis remained open to recreational boating. <br />
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Here's some more news and analysis from around the basin:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Perspectives</b></span><br />
<i>history, analysis and commentary on the causes of the flood</i><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 5, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110605/NEWS01/706059894">"Even tamed, river a threat"</a> by Nancy Gaarder<br />
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<b>Mitchell Daily Republic, June 6, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/event/article/id/53412/">"Who should bear the burden of flooded river?"</a> by Bob Mercer<br />
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<b>Council Bluffs Daily Non-pariel, June 5, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.southwestiowanews.com/articles/2011/06/05/council_bluffs/doc4dead596b2783419717546.txt">"The Missouri River has done this before"</a> by Dennis Friend<br />
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<b>Omaha World-Herald </b>- <a href="http://www.omaha.com/section/NEWS11">"Nancy's Almanac"</a> - Staff writer Nancy Gaarder has been reporting on the unfolding flood as well as posting more analysis and perspective in her column <a href="http://www.omaha.com/section/NEWS11">"Nancy's Almanac"</a>. Good work Nancy! <a href="http://www.omaha.com/section/NEWS11">Click here to see a feed of her stories. </a><br />
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<b>Sioux City Journal - June 5, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/a1/article_55bf9535-873c-5c70-8ef7-4038f1e938b6.html">"River experts: Flood risk can be mitigated"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Montana</b></span><br />
<b>Great Falls Tribune, June 3, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110603/NEWS01/106030331">"Fort Peck Dam release begins; downstream residents warned of flooding"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Dakotas</b></span><br />
<b>Bismark Tribune, June 6, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_676ba564-8fb6-11e0-a767-001cc4c03286.html">"Missouri's rise still slow, below 18 feet"</a><br />
<b>Bismark Tribune, June 1, 2011 -</b> <a href="http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/article_9d90644e-8c97-11e0-aa6f-001cc4c03286.html">"History and heartbreak: A sad day at Garrison Dam as spillway gates open"</a><b>Yankton Press-Dakotan, June 4, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.yankton.net/articles/2011/06/04/community/doc4de9a6a96133f253051510.txt">"Daugaard: State Is ‘Scrambling’ As Missouri River Rises"</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nebraska/Iowa</b></span><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 4, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110604/NEWS01/706049872">"Flooding may close I-29 soon"</a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 4, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110604/NEWS01/706049899">"City dumps raw sewage in river"</a><br />
<b>Omaha World-Herald, June 6, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110606/NEWS01/706069832">"Levee breaches bring new worry"</a> - <i>Two levee breaches near Hamburg, IA, seem to be a sobering indication of things to come. </i><br />
<b>Sioux City Journal, June 5, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/a1/article_03196f04-ee0b-5e0b-85fd-648bf6cd1583.html">"REMAINING UPBEAT - Work continues to protect homes from rising water"</a><br />
<a href="http://siouxcityjournal.com/special-section/2011_flood/">Special Flood Coverage Page in Sioux City Journal - Click here. </a>Links to all of the Journal's great flood coverage, including a live blog feed and debunking flood myths and rumors. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Missouri </b></span><br />
<b>Columbia Missourian, June 6, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2011/06/06/army-corps-engineers-forecasts-several-levees-missouri-could-be-overtopped/">"Local levees threatened by record-setting releases into Missouri River"</a><br />
<b>St. Louis Beacon, June 3, 2011 </b>- <a href="http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politics/nation/110684-slow-motion-tsunami-headed-down-the-missouri-river">"'Slow-motion tsunami' headed down the Missouri River"</a><br />
<b>Kansas City Star, June 4, 2011</b> - <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/04/2927480/communities-along-missouri-river.html">"Communities along the rising Missouri River prepare for flooding"</a><br />
<b>CBS KMOX, St. Louis, June 4, 2011</b> - <a href="http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2011/06/04/boating-banned-on-missouri-river/">"Missouri River Boating Ban Revised"</a> <i>It's unclear if this was a Coast Guard mistake or a journalist mistake, but the widely publicized closure of the entire Lower Missouri River to recreational traffic is not true for Kansas City to St. Louis for the moment. </i>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-29560351737089114822011-06-06T11:45:00.001-05:002011-06-06T11:45:43.329-05:00Missouri River 340 cancelled - moved to Kansas RiverOrganizers of the Missouri River 340, the world's longest non-stop paddler race from Kansas City, KS, to St. Charles, MO, have elected to cancel the ultramarathon race for 2011 due to a high likelihood the race course will be flooding at the scheduled date.<br />
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The race had registered over 340 boats for the 2011 event, which was to be the sixth annual run of the race. Near certainty of above flood stage river levels for most of the race course caused race organizer Scott Mansker to look for a new alternative. In order to give an option for racers who have been planning for months on the original July 19-22 dates, Mansker's organization, Rivermiles, elected to move the race to an alternative location, 150 miles of the Kansas River, from Manhattan, KS, to Kansas City, KS. <br />
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In a post on the Missouri River 340 race forum, Mansker explained the decision. "Back in 2005 when planning for the first race was underway, the original vision was for it to be held on the Kansas River. A much shorter race, but equally as grueling of an adventure because of the challenges of a sandy, braided river. The race was reconsidered for the Missouri because of some portages and other logistical issues. It all turned out well and we've had wonderful success with the MR340. But this year that door is closed, locked and under water."<br />
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"So, we've dusted off the notes from 2005 on how to put on an ultra marathon on the Kansas or "Kaw" River. That's where the race will be held this year, scheduled for the exact same time frame as the MR340, July 19th-22nd."<br />
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Details are still being developed on how the race, which will involve several portages around dams and obstructions, will be organized. For the latest, see the Rivermiles forum: <a href="http://rivermiles.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1307248919/all-0">http://rivermiles.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1307248919/all-0 </a>Missouri River Relief, the charitable partner for the Missouri River 340 race, will help on the Kansas River race (as of yet unnamed) as portage shuttlers, safety boats and checkpoint volunteers.Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5509992494809810067.post-74599778190524306932011-06-03T16:30:00.000-05:002011-06-03T16:30:30.833-05:00Editorial: Flood blog by author of "Unruly River"For folks trying to understand the history and changes of the Missouri River, you can't do much better than reading "Unruly River" by Robert Kelley Schneiders.<br />
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Right now Dr. Schneiders is in the Dakotas now and is travelling along reporting on the flood as it happens throughout the basin. You can follow his observations at: <a href="http://ecointheknow.com/news/">http://ecointheknow.com/news/</a> .<br />
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Here's one of his pieces published June 3, 2011 in the <a href="http://www.omaha.com/article/20110603/NEWS0802/706039995">Omaha World-Herald</a>, reprinted with the author's permission. As always, the opinion pieces reprinted on Big Muddy News reflect the opinions of the author alone. They are important for gaining perspective on a complex issue.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Midlands Voices: Rethink flood role of Corps</b></span><br />
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<i>By Robert Kelley Schneiders, Ph.D.</i><br />
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<i>The writer, of Boulder, Colo., has written two books on the history of the Missouri River, “Unruly River: Two Centuries of Change Along the Missouri” (University Press of Kansas, 1999) and “Big Sky Rivers: The Yellowstone and Upper Missouri” (University Press of Kansas, 2003). He is the co-founder and director of Eco InTheKnow, LLC, www.ecointheknow.com.</i><br />
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announced that the entire Missouri Valley, from Montana through the state of Missouri, faces the threat of flooding in the next several weeks. According to the Corps, this flood threat is unprecedented in the history of the Missouri because of the amount of water now, or soon to be, descending from the river. But it is unprecedented for another reason.<br />
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Prior to the construction of the Corps’s big Missouri River dams, the Missouri flooded twice each year. It flooded every April when the snowpack lying atop the prairies and plains melted and then poured into the river. Old-timers referred to this first flood of the year as the April Rise or Spring Fresh. The Spring Fresh lasted from a few days to a few weeks. The most powerful and damaging April rises occurred in 1881, 1943 and 1952.<br />
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Following the passage of the Spring Rise, the Missouri often dropped to below flood stage in late April and May. However, the Missouri bounced back up again in June, when the river’s second annual flood took place. Valley residents knew this flood as the June Rise or Summer Rise.<br />
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The June Rise resulted from the melting of the Rocky Mountain snowpack in conjunction with the advent of heavy thunderstorms across both the upper and lower Missouri basin. The June Rise carried more water, covered a larger area and lasted for a longer period of time than the April Fresh.<br />
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With the June Rise, the Missouri earned its nickname “The Mighty Mo.” During the largest June rises, water stretched from valley wall to valley wall, from the Dakotas all the way south into the state of Missouri. The Missouri also increased its volume to 10 or 15 times its normal flow rate. One of the highest June rises on record struck the two Kansas Cities in June 1903.<br />
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The present high flows in the Missouri are consistent with the river’s past hydrological character. This year’s projected Missouri River flood is another large June Rise.<br />
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But the soon-to-arrive Great Missouri River Flood of 2011 is unique. Why? Because it is going to happen all along the Missouri Valley in spite of the presence of the Corps’ six main-stem dams.<br />
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The Corps built the Dakota dams to prevent floods. One of the key advocates for the construction of those dams was a politically savvy general named Lewis A. Pick, who headed the Corps’ Missouri River Division in the mid-1940s. The Army later promoted him to chief of engineers because he did such a brilliant job of ensuring the Army’s dominance over the apportionment of the Missouri’s waters.<br />
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In the 1940s and 1950s, Pick acquired congressional funding for the Dakota dams by promising an end to the Missouri’s two annual floods.<br />
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After the completion of the main-stem dams, the Corps publicly claimed that it had “tamed” the Mighty Mo. It also encouraged development of the river’s former floodplain in order to solidify its political alliances with society’s industrial, agricultural, financial and real estate elites.<br />
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Consequently, factories arose in the lowlands, McMansions appeared directly on the banks of the river, concrete roadways cut paths through old channel areas, and corn and soybeans flourished within feet of the river’s fast-moving waters.<br />
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Today, Missouri Valley residents confront a disaster of historic proportions. But rather than blame the coming flood on global warming (although it may be a factor), we would be better served by examining the Corps’s role along the river.<br />
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More specifically, how has the Corps’s navigation channel from Sioux City to the mouth, and the reservoir release sequence at the upstream dams, contributed to this flood and other damaging floods?<br />
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It is a proven fact that the confined and straightened navigation channel reduced the lower river’s carrying capacity and increased its channel velocity — both factors increase the probability of floods and their destructive effects. Additionally, a greater drawdown of the reservoirs in the fall and winter will open up more floodwater storage space in the spring and summer.<br />
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A reassessment and alteration of the role of the Army Corps of Engineers along the Missouri might prevent a similar disaster in the future.<br />
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<i>The writer is scheduled to give a presentation in Sioux City, Iowa, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 26. Hosted by the Betty Strong Encounter Center, the presentation is titled, “The Last Great Deluge: Siouxland, the Missouri River and the Epic Flood of 1952.”</i>Missouri River Reliefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09525431448255600581noreply@blogger.com6