Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:
The Ins and Outs of Water at Power Plants on the Missouri River
Published: December 22, 2015
Presentation by Dr. Greg Howick, Senior Aquatic Ecologist at Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc.
Original Presentation, December 22, 2015 at Westport Coffeehouse Theater, Kansas City, MO.
When people think about important uses of the lower Missouri River, they often overlook the largest water user. The largest use of water from the river is for steam condensation (cooling) by power plants. Of the 15 active power plants on the river between Sioux City and St. Louis, 14 withdraw large quantities of water that are passed once through steam condensers then discharged back to the river 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer.
The discharge of cooling water is regulated by state water quality standards and criteria and Section 316(a) of the Clean Water Act. The withdrawal of water by cooling water intakes is regulated by Section 316(b). In addition to compliance with these regulations, some power plant intakes are being impacted by a degrading river bed that has lowered water levels.
Dr. Howick will present highlights of the rules for power plant intakes and discharges, and describe the work he has done on the Missouri River to help power plant owners comply with these regulations.
Meet Your Presenter
Dr. Greg Howick
, Senior Aquatic Ecologist
Greg Howick is the Senior Aquatic Ecologist at Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. He received his Ph.D. in Biology with a specialization in limnology and aquatic ecology from the University of Kansas in 1981. He has 34 years of experience ranging from baseline surveys to studies related to water resources, power plants, and lake restoration. For Burns & McDonnell, Dr. Howick is the technical and scientific lead for providing services related to limnology and aquatic ecology including: Section 316(b) compliance, discharge plume mapping and modeling for water quality compliance, fisheries, water and sediment quantity and quality, and bathymetry. Greg is also a veteran volunteer boat driver for Missouri River Relief cleans ups in the Kansas City area.
Related Presentations
Resources & Links
is hosted by these wonderful partners!
- Little Blue River Watershed Coalition
- Friends of Lakeside Nature Center
- Missouri River Relief
- Healthy Rivers Partnership
- Kansas City Digital Video
Thanks to all of our venue hosts for making this possible! Click here for a list of upcoming presentations» The Big Muddy Speaker Series is also held monthly in Rocheport and St. Charles.
Recordings of Presentations
Kansas City Digital Video has been recording Big Muddy Speaker Series presentations. These are available on their website at this link. Some contain synchronized powerpoint presentations. We will be posting these to the archived presentation pages on bigmuddyspeakers.org. Thanks Micheal Morgan and crew for putting this important archive online!
Upcoming Presentations
Leave No Trace Training on the Barge
October 14, 2026St. Louis, MO
Join us for a special Big Muddy Speaker Series on the Living Lands & Waters Barge where Perry Whitaker will lead us in a Leave No Trace Training.
See Event
Missouri River Relief: 25 Years on the Big Muddy
November 10, 2026Columbia, MO
Join us for a journey through time celebrating 25 years of Missouri River Relief's work on the Big Muddy.
See Event
Plastic Pollution, Gulf Hypoxia, and Water Quality
November 11, 2026St Charles, MO
Jennifer Wendt from MidAmerica Clean Future guides us through understanding regional water quality challenges.
See Event