News Releases for February 2005
February 08, 2005
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Hoeven, Upper Basin Governors Continue Push For Missouri River Water Conservation Measures
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven joined Govs. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, Dave Heineman of Nebraska and Brian Schweitzer of Montana, as well as representatives of the remaining Missouri River basin states Monday in Sioux Falls, S.D. to continue their efforts to resolve the ongoing issue of Missouri River management by the Army Corps of Engineers. Hoeven, Rounds and other upper basin governors continued their push for additional water conservation measures.
"We're now in our sixth year of drought, and the upper basin states have suffered the impact," Hoeven said. "We finally got drought conservation measures in the Master Manual, but we clearly need to do more to conserve water upstream, not only for our fish and wildlife, but also for our municipal water supplies."
This year, according to Hoeven, the Corps will reduce the downstream navigation season under the new Master Manual by 61 days to conserve water. Hoeven, Rounds and the governors of upstream states recommended further shortening the season this year, which Hoeven said is in the interest of downstream as well as upstream states. Downstream states were unwilling to support a further shortening of the season, but indicated a willingness to support a resolution maximizing all drought conservation measures allowable under the new Master Manual to avoid that outcome.
"The reality is that without added snow pack in the mountains, we're looking at lower lake levels again this year," Hoeven said. "At that point, under new conservation measures in the new manual, we'll get a "navigation preclude" next year, which means no navigation season at all. That will help us to recharge water levels in the upper basin. In the meantime, we'll continue to pursue every avenue, including Congress, the courts and the Administration, to retain more water in the upper basin."
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