Missourinet

Your source for Missouri News and Sports

You are here: Home / Archives for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Blunt pleased with USDA’s Kansas City relocation decision (AUDIO)

By

SEDALIA, Mo.- The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) decision to relocate two major facilities to the greater Kansas City area is being praised by Missouri’s senior senator.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) flips steaks at the Missouri Beef House at the State Fair in Sedalia on August 15, 2019 (photo courtesy of Missouri Cattlemen’s Association Twitter page)

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R) spoke to Missourinet at the governor’s ham breakfast Thursday in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia.

“I think that’s one of the great things about the USDA deciding to move those ag research jobs from Washington D.C. to the Kansas City area with access to all our great land grant institutions in the middle of the country,” Blunt says.

USDA plans to relocate its Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agricultural Policy. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, says the decision will draw more than 550 jobs to the Kansas City region, with average wages between $80,000 and $100,000.

Meantime, Senator Blunt is hopeful that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will manage the Missouri River differently.

“Since the 2004 (Corps) management plan, we’ve had moderate to high flooding every year but two, with the same rainfall we had in many years before that that didn’t produce that flooding,” says Blunt.

Blunt, Governor Parson and members of the state’s congressional delegation held a press conference on the flooding issue at Thursday’s fair. They were joined by Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst.

Parson says more than 80 Missouri levees have overtopped or breached in 2019.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full four-minute interview with U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R), which was recorded at the State Fair in Sedalia on August 15, 2019:

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet

Congressman Graves: Corps’ priorities for Missouri River are backwards (AUDIO)

By

A congressman who represents flood-damaged northern Missouri is blasting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, saying it’s “long past time” that flood control is the top priority for the Missouri River.

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, tours the MFA Rail facility near northwest Missouri’s Hamilton on October 8, 2018 (file photo courtesy of Congressman Graves’ office)

U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, visited flood-impacted Brunswick on Friday. Brunswick, a Chariton County town of about 800, sustained severe flooding from the Grand River this summer.

Graves met with Brunswick officials to discuss flood recovery efforts. He tells Missourinet he’s losing his patience.

“This is so frustrating, it’s getting old, it’s getting tiresome, it’s affecting people’s lives, it’s affecting communities,” Graves says.

He says flooding has caused devastation across north Missouri, including Brunswick. Graves describes the Corps’ management priorities on the Missouri River as “backwards.”

“And it’s so frustrating, you just literally want to pull your hair out,” says Graves. “And we continue to pound on the Corps and push the Corps and we can’t seem to get anywhere with them.”

Graves agrees with Governor Mike Parson’s call for the Corps to manage the Missouri River differently.

Parson notes that he and fellow governors from Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska have met with the Corps, urging them to give states a seat at the table. Parson says states must have a significant say in Missouri River management.

Graves represents 36 counties across north Missouri. His sprawling district, which has more square miles than nine states, spans from the Missouri to the Mississippi rivers.

Graves’ district includes Brunswick, St. Joseph and Hannibal.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, which was recorded on August 7, 2019:

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet

Parson and Cleaver to meet to discuss Missouri flooding and infrastructure issues

By

Missouri’s governor is reiterating his call for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to manage the Missouri River differently. Governor Mike Parson briefed Capitol reporters last week at the Statehouse in Jefferson City.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson talks with Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (left) and others in flooded Orrick in April 2019 (file photo courtesy of Congressman Cleaver’s office)

“And if it means more money through some of the states, we’ve met with other governors,” Parson says. “The governor of Nebraska, the governors of Iowa and Kansas and talked about that very same thing.”

Parson notes more than 80 Missouri levees have overtopped or breached in 2019.

“How can we maybe pool some resources together to try to help this management of the Missouri River on the Missouri side of it, similar to what we do on the Mississippi (River) side,” says Parson.

Meantime, Governor Parson (R) will be meeting with U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, and western Missouri farmers on Tuesday to discuss flooding and other agricultural issues.

Parson will travel to the state Department of Conservation’s Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs to meet with Congressman Cleaver and the Fifth District Agriculture Advisory Committee. Blue Springs is a Kansas City suburb.

The governor has signed an executive order creating a flood recovery advisory working group. Parson says Missouri “has been plagued by record-level flooding this year.” Parson says the group will provide input on Missouri’s flood recovery priorities and will also give feedback on Missouri’s current levee system.

While tomorrow’s 10 a.m. meeting is closed, Governor Parson and Congressman Cleaver will brief reporters after the Blue Springs meeting.

During an interview at the 2018 Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, Cleaver praised Parson’s emphasis on infrastructure.

“And then when he (Governor Parson) told me that he was going to put a list together of things that he wanted to do, and infrastructure was one of them, I said governor you and I are going to have a partnership. You can expect all the support you need from me,” Cleaver told Missourinet at the fair.

Cleaver’s district includes Kansas City and three rural western Missouri counties: Lafayette, Ray and Saline.

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet

Army Corps of Engineers pegs costs to restore levee system at $1B+, for now

By

It will cost a lot to replace the levees damaged by this year’s flood.

The initial levee break which closed U.S. Route 59 in southern Buchanan County the first time./Photo courtesy of the Kansas Highway Patrol

It will also take a lot of time.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released an estimate of the cost of repairing 100 damaged levees along the Platte River and the Missouri River.

“Right now, we’re estimating at $1.15 billion,” Tom Brady with the Northwest District of the Corps of Engineers tells those on a conference call. “That number will change, because there are many levees we haven’t had access to.”

Brady emphasizes that is only a preliminary estimate.

“A lot of those estimates are based on desktop recon, because we’re not able to get to some of those levees that are under water,” Brady says. “So, we don’t have a full magnitude of the damage. And, so until we get ground truth, we really can’t give you a good targeted amount.”

Brady says that price tag is likely to go higher when floodwaters recede and inspectors can actually view the damage. Also, more requests for repairs are likely to be fielded by the Corps.

Brady does hold out the possibility that costs could go down.

“Because when we see the damage on the ground, we may find that we are able to cut back on some of our estimates,” Brady says. “We won’t know until we can get engineers out on those 850 miles of levees.”

The Corps also estimates it will take at least a couple of years to fully restore the levees damaged by this year’s flood.

By Brent Martin of Missourinet affiliate KFEQ in St. Joseph

Missouri Governor Parson urges Corps to give states a seat at the table

By

(This story is written by news director Brent Martin at Missourinet St. Joseph affiliate KFEQ Radio)

ST. JOSEPH, Mo.- Missouri’s governor toured flood-damaged northwest Missouri Wednesday evening, after meeting earlier in the day with three fellow governors and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Council Bluffs.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson speaks to State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer (left) and State Rep. Sheila Solon (right) at Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph on May 29, 2019 (photo courtesy of KFEQ’s Brent Martin)

Governor Mike Parson says Missouri is battling Mother Nature as the state fights flooding from border to border. He tells Missourinet St. Joseph affiliate KFEQ Radio (AM 680) there is virtually no part of the state that hasn’t been impacted by flooding.

“You know it’s just unfortunate right now, it just seems like we can’t get a break with the rain. No matter where we’re at, it’s just a problem and right now, we’re just trying to hold our own here in Missouri. We’re just fighting everyday to try to make sure these levees stay in place and trying to sandbag all over the state right now,” Parson says.

Parson tells KFEQ that he and fellow governors from Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska met with the Corps about the current situation. He says all four expressed their concerns about additional releases from Gavins Point Dam, and are calling for greater input from the states on how the Corps manages the river.

Parson says the governors are urging the Corps to give states a seat at the table. He says states must have a significant say in Missouri River management.

Governor Parson surveyed the Buchanan County flooding with State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville, and State Rep. Sheila Solon, R-St. Joseph. Senator Luetkemeyer, who represents Buchanan and Platte Counties, says farms, homes and businesses throughout low-lying areas of his district have been inundated with rising flood waters.

Luetkemeyer notes flooding has been a “persistent problem” along the Missouri River since March. U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt told reporters this week in Jefferson City that northwest Missouri’s Craig has already flooded three times this year.

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet

Governors of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska meet with Army Corps officials to discuss flood-prevention

By

Three governors feeling the pain of major flooding recently are calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to change its management of the Missouri River. The governors of Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa met Wednesday in Iowa with Corps and Federal Emergency Management officials to talk about growing flooding problems. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon in Council Bluffs, Governor Mike Parson says something needs to change.

Three governors at meeting with Army Corps and FEMA officials (photo from @GovParsonMO twitter account)

“For far too long, we’ve had these incidents occur and we’ve had meeting after meeting, but it seems to be the same results all the time. I think it’s time that we need some straight up answers from the Corps of Engineers of how they’re managing the river,” says Parson.

Northwest and southeast Missouri have especially been hit hard by recent flooding. Parson has made a couple of trips to northwest Missouri to view the damage. About half of Nebraska has been devastated by flood waters.

“First of all, we’ve got to find out just kind of what happened. I think we are still looking for those answers,” says Parson. “But more importantly, what can we do in the short-term and what can we do in the long-term. We’re still not out of the woods yet. We still have got water coming out, snow melt and ice coming out, plus spring rains that could really affect us.”

Parson, a Republican, says the management of the river is key to the citizens of each state.

“When you look at the states that are involved here of the Missouri River, it has a huge impact on the United States of what it is we do,” Parson says. “We are totally dependent on the management of those rivers for a lot of reasons. When you talk about that livelihood, that economic development side of it, it is really centered around the management of the rivers. That affects every one of us and the people of our states and the economy of our states. That’s really how important this is.”

From left to right, Governors Parson of Missouri, Ricketts of Nebraska & Reynolds of Iowa (Photo from @GovRicketts Twitter account)

He says there need to be other solutions to prevent further flooding issues.

“You look at the reservoir situation. Can we have more reservoir space to be able to handle this water that we know is going to be coming here every year? Can we build maybe more levees,” asks Parson. “But I think more importantly, does the state take more of an active role in these decisions instead of just leaving it up to one agency? I think the states will have to take more of a role in the management of the river and the Corps is going to have to work with us from a different perspective of what we’ve done than in the past.”

Last Friday, Parson signed an executive order giving the Missouri Department of Natural Resources some flexibility in easing requirements during and after recent Missouri flooding.

He says river management needs to get back to the basics by prioritizing flooding and safety.

Travel problems prevented the governor of Kansas from attending the gathering, but she plans to be part of the next meeting in three weeks.

Copyright © 2019 · Missourinet

Parson signs executive order to ease requirements during, after Missouri flooding

By

This is the aerial view of flooding in northwest Missouri taken on March 21, 2019 (photo courtesy of Governor Mike Parson Twitter page)

Governor Mike Parson has signed an executive order today giving the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director some flexibility in easing requirements during the flood emergency underway. A press release today from the governor’s office says Director Carol Comer will have the discretionary authority to temporarily or suspend environmental rules or regulations currently under her purview during the emergency and following recovery period.

Northwest and southeast Missouri have especially been hit hard by recent flooding.

Parson says the move will best serve the interests of public health and safety.

The governor and some Missouri state and federal officials have criticized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers river management.

Blunt tours Atchinson County, where flood recovery slowly — and fearfully — begins

By

-Brent Martin contributed to this report.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt surveyed flood damage in Atchison and Holt Counties Friday and like, the governor, took aim at the way the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages its rivers and reservoirs.

Flood damage at US 159 at Route P in Holt County near Fortescue, Missouri.

“For more than 15 years, I have said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ river management plan is not the right plan for Missouri. After seeing the damage today, it is clear that plan needs to be looked at. The Corps should be prioritizing flood control, navigation, and drinking water. Environmental concerns are a part of that discussion, but the priority should always be on protecting people and property.”

Governor Mike Parson is also outspoken about flood prevention and says he will meet with the governors of Iowa and Nebraska to ready their questions for the Corps.

“What is the management of the river, what’s changed here, why are we having these floods?” he asks.

John Remus, chief of Missouri River Basin Water Management for the Corps told Missourinet a week ago the current focus on the mainstem of the Missouri is flood control.

“Situations where we have high runoff or an event like this, flood control is all we operate for and in fact on the mainstem dams we have done no operations for anything but flood control since March 15th of 2018,” Remus said in a press briefing.

Missourinet contacted the Corps’ public affairs office for additional comment on non-disaster management and policy. We have gotten no response to date.

Meanwhile, farmers and displaced residents are apprehensive.

Brent Martin, KFEQ News Director has been in the field in Northwest Missouri since the flooding began. Yesterday, he spoke with county commissioners who are “fearful that there’s more water coming and these levees are already broken and they are not going to be fixed, probably within two years.”

“It’s a real disaster in Atchison County, especially from I-29 to the river,” according to North District County Commissioner Richard Burke, “And that’s basically everything in the flood plain in Atchison County. That takes in 70,000 acres.”

Read Brent’s story

The United States Department of Agriculture UnderSecretary Bill Northey is also focusing on recovery after touring the area Thursday. He told Martin in an interview that he was not prepared for the scope of the damage

“It’s just mind-boggling to be able it in person, how much water there is and how much water has to get off of here to eventually make this land such that they can get out there and get some planting done,” says Northey, a former Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.

Missouri Congressman Graves: flooding worse than in 1993

By

Photo courtesy of KMA News in Shenandoah, Iowa

Northern Missouri Congressman Sam Graves is concerned about long-range effects of flooding underway in his region. Many people are comparing this disaster to the epic 2011 Missouri River flooding. The Tarkio Republican tells Missourinet affiliate KMA in Shenandoah, Iowa this event is worse than the flood of 1993.

To view the story, click here.

Barge associations to Obama: order more water to save Mississippi River barge traffic

By

Two river barge trade groups say barge traffic on the Mississippi River could come to a halt next week if someone doesn’t put more water in the River.

Waterways Council, Inc. is one of two groups that says as early as next week there won’t be enough water in the Mississippi River for the towboats that move barges to operate. It has joined the American Waterways Operators in calling on President Barack Obama to act to avoid an effective closure.

Two unions say after next week, barges on the Mississippi River will have to remain tied up until as late as April unless the Corps of Engineers releases more water into the Missouri River or the Midwest gets lots more rain.

Two unions say after next week, barges on the Mississippi River will have to remain tied up until as late as April unless the Corps of Engineers releases more water into the Missouri River or the Midwest gets lots more rain.

Waterways Council President Mike Toohey says for every 60 days barges stay off the Mississippi, 20,000 jobs and $130 million in wages are threatened and $7 billion in commodities are stranded.

“The inputs to manufacturing such a chemicals, which are a huge component of transportation on the waterways, simply don’t reach the manufacturing facilities … because there really is no other alternative to water transportation. The railroads do not have the water side deliver access that is necessary and we do not have enough trucks to take up the slack.”

Corps of Engineers spokesman Mike Petersen agrees levels are likely to get low enough to keep towboats off the River, but says the Corps can not release more water.

“The Missouri River can’t operate for the support of Mississippi River navigation just by their legal authorities, but the more important question is that if we start releasing water, we’re looking at year one of a drought. We don’t know how many years this drought is going to go on and it’s tough making decisions with water resources in a good year, but we have to keep our eyes on the long-term as far as what we’re going to do with water in any of the Corps reservoirs across the nation if we’re going to be dealing with a persistent drought.”

Toohey says the shut down could last until April unless some significant rain comes to break the drought and raise River levels.

The unions say towboats need a nine-foot draft to operate, and Toohey says very few vessels on the Mississippi can operate with anything more shallow. The unions say the River will be down to 8 feet next week.

Petersen says the Corps is already doing all it can.

“We actually just started releasing some additional water from Carlyle Lake. This would be the second kind of burst of water from Carlyle to support navigation through that reach of River at Thebes (Illinois) … that’ll reach Thebes at about the same time that the forecasts expect us to reach critically low levels.”

Petersen adds, “but ultimately … it’s going to take a whole lot of rain to get us back to normal.”