Farm Bureau Opposes Missouri Plan

March 4, 2002

The American Farm Bureau Federation has told officials with the Army Corps of Engineers of the AFBF's opposition to proposals to change the Missouri River water control plan. AFBF policy states that the Corps should maintain the current water control plan and should not deviate from those established standards.

That policy reflects concerns about the potential for flooding of agricultural lands and potential harm to navigation on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers if a "spring rise" is allowed. "Altering the management of the Missouri River by allowing for a spring rise would not only affect farmers in downstream states - Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas - by potentially flooding their land, but also affect barge traffic movements on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers," Farm Bureau said. AFBF stated that river transportation of agricultural commodities is of "paramount importance to the agricultural economy of the Midwest and our nation" and is one of the United States' "major competitive advantages in world grain trade."

Without proper management of river flows over the course of the year, river transportation could be "hampered by insufficient water levels on the Missouri River and on the Mississippi River between Memphis, Tenn., and Baton Rouge, LA," according to the AFBF letter.

Farm Bureau emphasized findings of a recent National Academy of Sciences report on the Missouri River. That report called for a moratorium on changes to the water control manual, while the Corps, in consultation with other agencies and stakeholders, including landowners and the agriculture industry, works to improve the Missouri River environment.

"Flood protection and reliable, commercial navigation on our waterways will be maintained by continuing to operate under the current water control plan for the Missouri River," Farm Bureau said.