News Releases for May 2002
May 15, 2002
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Hoeven, Janklow, Johanns Agree On Missouri River Joint Strategy
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor John Hoeven today held another in a series of conference calls with Governor Bill Janklow of South Dakota; Governor Mike Johanns of Nebraska; and officials from the Army Corps of Engineers and their counsel. Hoeven is seeking to preserve upstream fish hatches in the short term, and to promote a long-term plan that will protect the upper Missouri River from draw downs by the Corps.
The Corps is currently seeking to appeal a temporary restraining order handed down by the North Dakota Federal District Court to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals preventing them from lowering lake levels in North Dakota and South Dakota. North Dakota is currently resisting the attempt; temporary restraining orders are not usually appealable. A similar restraining order was recently issued in Montana.
"The series of suits initiated by the governors over the past few weeks was necessary to protect our fish and wildlife in the upper basin," Hoeven said. "It is crucial to protect the upper basin during the smelt hatch."
The governors agreed today in principle to a short-term plan that would protect the smelt hatch in the upper basin through May 25. The plan involves taking some additional water from South Dakota reservoirs to accommodate flows for the lower basin.
Additionally, the governors are working to coordinate a meeting with all the Missouri River Basin states and the Corps to manage the interests of all Missouri River states over the long-term.
Last September, Hoeven drafted a letter to President Bush signed by six of the eight Missouri River Basin states, requesting a revision of the Master Manual, which governs management of the Missouri River. The letter urged a more equitable sharing of water among all the basin states in times of drought.
"We want to see if we can arrive at a better management plan for long-term, consistent with the principles we set forth in our letter to President Bush last September, and with the states' preferred alternative" Hoeven said.
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