Earl Pomeroy: “Today, the Missouri River is managed by the Corps of Engineers on the basis of a manual that was adopted over 40 years…”

“Today, the Missouri River is managed by the Corps of Engineers on the basis of a manual that was adopted over 40 years ago. Under the manual, the Corps manages the river by trying to maintain steady water levels through the spring and summer to ensure there is always enough water to support barge traffic downstream. Unfortunately, under this management system, navigation has been emphasized on the Missouri River to the detriment of upstream interests, including recreation, which is much more important now than it was in 1960. The projections on barge traffic used to justify the manual have never materialized and have actually declined since its peak in the late 1970s. The manual used today does not provide an appropriate balance among the competing interests. The time has come for the management of the Missouri River to reflect the current economic realities of a $90 million annual recreation impact upstream, versus a $7 million annual navigation impact downstream.”