Thomas Daschle: “the Corps of Engineers manages the flow of the Missouri River based on assumptions about economic uses of the river that…”

“the Corps of Engineers manages the flow of the Missouri River based on assumptions about economic uses of the river that have not been seriously reexamined or revised in 50 years. Impartial observers, including the General Accounting Office, acknowledge that the rules for operating the dams along the river, known as the master manual, are outdated. Historically, upstream States, including South Dakota, have accepted the burden of flood control on the river. This tradition began with the sacrifice of prime land to the construction of dams to prevent downstream flooding. Over time, recreation in upstream States has come to play a much more prominent role in producing economic benefits from the river. Yet corps management of the river ignores this development and continues to give recreation lower priority than competing downstream uses. Today there is general consensus on the need to substantially revise the guidelines by which the Federal Government operates the dams on the Missouri River.”