Spring Rise Manual Issued Soon

June 12, 2002

Within the next few weeks, the Army Corps of Engineers is expected to release the Preferred Alternative of the Missouri River Master Manual Review, and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) says it is apprehensive. NCGA opposes any change resulting in spring rise because increasing water releases would flood or decrease drainage on thousands of acres in the Missouri River bottoms.

"We're concerned," said NCGA Director of Production and Marketing Paul Bertels. "If the Corps decides to leave well enough alone, we'll be alright. Any major change to the flow of the Missouri River is not going to a positive issue for us."

To offset spring flows, cutting water releases from July through September is proposed. Summer draw-down would impact the profitability of barge navigation as water releases would fall below levels needed to maintain navigation, Bertels said.

"Summer draw-down has the possibility of ending navigation on the Missouri River, not just during harvest, but year round, because corn growers would lose the benefits of competitive transportation rates for their inputs and production," he said.

In their analysis, the Corps estimates barge competition reduces rail rates in the Missouri basin by up to $200 million annually, Bertels added.

This spring's flooding, which resulted in several deaths, illustrates why spring-rise is a bad idea, he said. "You can't call that water back," he said. "It may look like a good idea on paper, but if you set up a spring-rise situation, then add 12 inches of rainwater to that in a week's time, like what we had this spring in the Midwest, you're setting yourself up for a disaster."