Moving Forward on the Missouri River

By Chad Smith

Guest Editorial: American Rivers

Each fall, I spend much of my free time duck hunting on the central Platte River.  My experiences as a waterfowl hunter in Nebraska during the last 30 years shape who I am and bind me to the place I call home.  I share this deep personal connection to the Platte with countless others, and the passion and commitment people express when discussing Platte River issues exist because of similar ties to the river that originate not only from duck blinds but also farms, businesses, and communities.

For the Missouri River , the future lies in building these very connections, which I believe are now in too short supply.  The Missouri no longer looks or acts much like a river, the result of decades of river management that have hastened the loss of the river’s natural form and function.  Failing to manage the river to balance uses like fish and wildlife and recreation with navigation and flood control have disconnected most people from the Missouri and left us with tremendous untapped economic potential.

For years, it has been clear that restoration of both habitat and flow is imperative to boosting the health and economic value of the Missouri River .  During that time, debate has raged over how best to change our approach to managing Missouri River water.  The possibility of restoring a more natural flow pattern has been a chief issue of discussion.  But, at its core, this debate is about change and whether we can embrace a new way of doing business to ensure the Missouri is a true “economic engine” for the basin.  After doing things a certain way on the river for decades, it is time for change.

Last summer, I was a member of a group of about 60 basin stakeholders that deliberated over how the Corps should implement a so-called “spring rise” on the river.  Though we did not come to a full consensus recommendation, we worked well together, explored a host of ideas and concerns, and came to some general agreements.

The Corps of Engineers listened, and now its Missouri River flow plan for 2006 includes a two-part spring rise much as the basin stakeholder group began designing over the summer.  The planned 2006 spring rise is just a first step toward restoring Missouri River flows, but it is an important step.

Concerns remain among about flood risk, water intakes, and the impacts on reservoir storage of implementing a spring rise during a drought.  The proposed spring rise recognizes and addresses these concerns and strikes a fair balance between the biological needs of the river, the science behind making flow changes, and the concerns of river users.

The 2006 spring rise is the result of many years of debate, litigation, and study.  But most importantly, it is the result of collaboration intended to engage basin stakeholders in river management decision-making.  After years of acrimony, the best way forward is to bring everyone to the table to decide together how to maximize the Missouri ’s many benefits.

Because farmers, navigators, power producers, conservationists, and others worked together to try and develop an agreement on river flows, I believe we made more progress toward that end in three months than was made in three decades.  Listening, cooperating, and building trust – that’s where the momentum is now in the basin.

It is clear that our vision for the Missouri from the 1930s needs updating.  We certainly benefit from flood control, hydropower, and productive floodplain farms, but the Missouri can be so much more.  For example, a National Academy of Sciences study concluded that Missouri River rehabilitation will “enhance the valuable fishery resources ...increase waterfowl populations...increase the abundance of largemouth bass...attract more anglers to the region...and result in marked increases in user-days for recreational fishing, commercial fishing, and hunting.”

It’s time to tap into that very potential.  Let’s get more people out enjoying the Missouri , spending their money in local communities and building personal connections with the river that will last a lifetime.  We can still grow corn in the floodplain, make electricity, provide drinking water, and protect people from flooding.  But, we can also ensure that the Missouri serves as a gathering place for the people of this basin, a beacon attracting businesses and dollars to our communities and giving everyone a place to enjoy the outdoors.

This is our opportunity to secure a better future for the Missouri River and the people that depend on it.  More natural flows, floodplain farming, navigation, hydropower, and other uses of the river are not mutually exclusive.  Together, we can find ways to improve the health of the Missouri , protect existing uses, and tap into the rivers’ true economic potential.

As seen from my duck blind on the Platte , the Missouri River ’s future could not be more exciting.

(Editor’s Note: Smith is Director of American Rivers’ Nebraska Field Office in Lincoln ).