News Releases for September 2003
September 25, 2003
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Hoeven: Missouri River Issue Needs To Move Forward
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor John Hoeven today said governors attending a summit of Missouri River states in South Dakota Wednesday reaffirmed the need for water conservation measures in the Army Corps of Engineers new Master Manual. In addition to Hoeven, governors from Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa attended the summit. Officials representing the other four Missouri River basin states and the Army Corps of Engineers also attended.
“I appreciate Governor Rounds’ bringing the governors together and attempting to move the issue forward by proposing a compromise that most states might find acceptable,” Hoeven said. “The Corps now needs to come up with a revised Master Manual with substantial water conservation provisions in times of drought. The time has long since passed to shorten the barge season in the lower basin, allowing the barges to operate, yet at the same time keeping more water in the upper basin. Both the Annual Operating Plan for next year and the revised Master Manual need these provisions.”
The Corps has historically managed the flow of the Missouri River to accommodate the downstream barge industry at the expense of upper basin tourism, recreational and environmental interests. The new preferred alternative would purportedly have retained water in the upper basin through the dry season, mitigating drought conditions, accommodating the recreational industry and enhancing habitat for wildlife. The recreation industry in the upper basin accounts for more than $90 million in annual economic activity, whereas the barge industry accounts for just $7 million.
“In 1999 seven of the eight basin states agreed to a plan that would conserve water in the upstream reservoirs in times of drought,” Hoeven said. “The Corps needs to release the revised Master Manual by March 1, 2004, and it must include drought conservation measures that recharge the upper Missouri River basin. We will continue to work for a solution at the negotiating table. At the same time, we will continue to push the issue with the Corps and the Administration, as well as in the courts."
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