We should start to see lower Missouri River levels this week after last week’s restricted releases for three days. The restrictions came as a compromise between two equal courts ordering the Army Corps of Engineers to do opposite things. State Attorney General Jay Nixon is worried the decision will set a precedent of varying from the Corps’ master manual for managing the river. But he does empathize with the Corps’ plight. Nixon says the state is involved in at least five court cases to bring a final resolution to how the Missouri River will be managed in the future. He says he might end up going to the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve the issue. However, he prefers lower court decisions already issued in favor of Missouri’s positions.
