Max Baucus: “last year, Mr. Daschle and I fought hard against efforts to halt the progress of the new Missouri River Master Manual.…”

“last year, Mr. Daschle and I fought hard against efforts to halt the progress of the new Missouri River Master Manual. As my distinguished colleague from South Dakota pointed out both last year and this year, the Missouri River is a river in jeopardy and the manual is long overdue for a revision. We need a more balanced management of this river system, a balance that will, among other things, give more weight to the use of the water for recreation upstream, at places like Fort Peck reservoir in Montana. Under the current river operations, there are times when the lake has been drawn down so low that boat ramps are a mile or more from the water's edge, all to send water downstream to support the barge industry. Recreation is vital to the eastern Montana economy and to economies of other upper Missouri states. It's time the Army Corps' management practices reflected that reality. This year, one of the worst water years in my State's history, the problems started back in March and April.”