Setting aside parts of the Missouri River for endangered species is formalized, but the fight over how the river is managed seems far from over. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Fish and Wildlife Service officials have formally announced the creation of 1,400 to 1,800 acres of shallow water habitat in the Missouri River to protect endangered pallid sturgeons. The creation of the 24 areas scattered from South Dakota to central Missouri comes after a federal judge in Minnesota cleared the creation of the habitat as an alternative to low summer flows. Assistant Secretary of the Army George Dunlop says the decision from the judge also validates the new master manual for the river’s management and should deter future lawsuits. But Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon says he’ll decide if there’s been enough litigation. And Nixon says he does expect more lawsuits as the Corps tries to reach its goal of 20,000 total acres of the shallow water habitat in 20 years.
