ICYMI: Graves OpEd on Missouri River Management
River can be resource if managed properly
By Sam Graves
St. Joseph News-Press
Sunday, May 12, 2013
In decades past, barges would go up and down the Missouri River all the time. It was a common sight, and it made good economic sense for the towns along the river. Now, barge traffic has become increasingly rare.
The Missouri River can be a driver for economic growth again. One way for that to become a reality is if the U.S. Department of Transportation designates the river from Kansas City to Sioux City, Iowa, as a Marine Highway corridor.
This would open up new possibilities for shipping and navigation on the river. It would allow ports like St. Joseph to access vital resources from the federal government in reestablishing a strong shipping presence along the river. Better utilizing the Missouri River could help get Missouri-made goods to the world market efficiently while also alleviating traffic from trucks and railroads by providing competition.
Because I feel strongly about improving commerce on our waterways, I have written to the Transportation Department along with Missouri's other members of Congress in support of this worthwhile effort.
While the river can be a potential resource, we also know it contains risks that need to be managed. A study from the University of Missouri found that 207,200 acres of cropland were flooded across the state during the 2011 flood, costing farmers $176 million in revenue.
We rely on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help prevent and manage such devastating flooding. I believe the corps' top priorities should continue to be ensuring that the Missouri River is navigable and controlling flooding to the extent possible.
The corps currently faces a list of eight "authorized purposes" for the projects it undertakes, including flood control, water quality, and fish and wildlife. There are too many competing priorities, creating an impossible balancing act.
That is why I once again introduced legislation to reduce the burden on the corps by removing "fish and wildlife" as one of its authorized purposes. Consider that in recent years $73 million was spent on wildlife restoration while only $6 million was spent on levee maintenance and operations between Gavin's Point Dam and the mouth of the Missouri.
As a farmer, I know the value of protecting our environment and the importance of being a steward of the land. This legislation does not prohibit any kind of efforts to build and restore wildlife habitats and wetlands along the river. However, our environmental policies must be based on a commonsense understanding that protecting people and their livelihoods should take priority.
In the coming weeks, I also intend to introduce legislation which would freeze all environmental projects on the Missouri River during and for a period after a flood event. Following a flood, our efforts should be focused on preventing future floods from occurring and recovering from any damage that was caused.
Please know that as your representative, I will continue to fight for a more commonsense strategy in the management of the Missouri River.
Sam Graves of Tarkio, Mo., is a member of the U.S. House representing Missouri's Sixth Congressional District.