Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:

The famous quote usually attributed to Mark Twain says, "Whiskey is for drinking, Water is for fighting". Missouri River politics have always followed that pattern. But some of the bureaucratic processes behind modern river management can make it hard to get our passions up! So we want to take a moment to peek behind these complex processes, get a little help from some river experts and talk it through with each other.

The public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and Adaptive Management Plan for the recovery of the Missouri River has been extended until April 24. This gives us Missouri River lovers a chance to look a bit more carefully at what the process means, what the proposed alternatives include and how different stakeholders are weighing in on the topic. It's a super complex process and easy for us citizens to be daunted by. Why are we going through this process? Does anyone care about the values we see in the river? How can we express those values in a way that will be heard and be useful?

We've invited a small group of experts to weigh in with their perspectives, help frame this complex process and to open up a discussion with all of us on how we can weigh in on these big river issues. They will summarize factors that initiated the DEIS process, what it is, and how long it took.  What alternative management actions the Corps is considering, their selected draft alternative, and the timeline going forward. What adaptive management is and how will it help guide implementation of the selected alternative.  Ample time will be allotted for questions and discussion. If you have time, please check out the page we've posted with supporting documents and more info on the DEIS and Adaptive Management Plan.

A little background info -

Operation of dams and reservoirs and construction and maintenance of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contributed to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listing the pallid sturgeon, piping plover, and interior least tern under the Endangered Species Act.  The Missouri River Recovery Program was established in 2005 by the Corps to reduce their actions jeopardizing the continued existence of the three listed species and to acquire and manage lands to mitigate habitat loss.  In 2007, Congress established the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC), a broad-based stakeholder advisory group to make recommendations and guide federal agencies on Missouri River recovery.

An Independent Science Advisory Committee, created by MRRIC, reviewed new knowledge about the species since their listings and recommended an overarching river management plan based on adaptive management principles. These recommendations contributed to the need for a Missouri River Recovery Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Draft EIS (DEIS) was released in December 2016 and is available for public review and comment until 24 April 2017.  The DEIS describes why USACE is taking action at this time and what it intends to achieve.  Once finalized this Plan will aid management of the Missouri River for decades to come.