Science Panel Calls for Steps to Restore Missouri River Ecosystem
The ecological health of the Missouri River basin, which covers one-sixth of the continental U.S., will continue to deteriorate unless steps are taken to restore some of the "Big Muddy's" natural patterns, such as its flow pulses and meanders, a scientific review committee says. Those remedial steps may include some "re-engineering," says Steven P. Gloss, a U.S. Geological Survey program manager who chaired the National Research Council panel. But he adds that the committee felt "to a great extent there's an opportunity to let the river do the work of restoration...."
The most controversial recommendation in the report, released Jan. 9, is a call for a moratorium on the Corps of Engineers' revision of its Master Manual, which guides how the Corps regulates the river's flow, "until the revisions reflect a collaborative, science-based approach that uses adaptive management to improve the condition of the Missouri River ecosystem."