According to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), the study "says loud and clear what we've been saying in South Dakota for years: The river is slowly dying and we must restore its natural flows to save it". Opponents to changing the river-flow disagree, saying - the apparent contradiction in the report shows that there isn't conclusive science yet to justify major revisions in river management. Even the scientists admitted that no similar attempts have ever been made to reverse system-wide changes in a river of the Missouri's size and complexity before.

The study by the National Research Council, a division of the National Academy of Sciences, says the 2,341-mile river has been dammed, dredged, diked and constricted to a point where its entire natural ecosystem is threatened. They recommend the river be returned to more natural water-flow cycles.

A bitter dispute continues on this subject between upriver and downriver communities. South Dakota favors a split-navigation season, which they say will increase their recreation and tourist industry by keeping more water in the upriver lakes. The council is saying consideration should be given to ending navigation along some segments of the lower 735 miles (our local area), where it is economically inefficient. The Department of Natural Resources in Missouri strongly opposes any flow changes saying that altering the river's flow could enable thirsty states upstream to hoard water in their reservoirs. Barge operators agree claiming that changing the flow and reconnecting the river to the floodplain could end navigation on the river.

And - what about us? The recreation industry insists it contributes millions of dollars more to the economy than does navigation, estimated at $87 million versus $7 million. Have they seen the amount of pleasure boats occupying that 735-mile river stretch lately? Hundreds of folks flocked into the Midwest Boat Show this past week-end, many of them looking to purchase a new boat which will more than likely end up on that stretch of river.

The Corps of Engineers has been attempting to change the master manual for 13 years with little success in getting a consensus amongst competing interest groups. They have been holding hearings on proposed changes in how the river is managed for several months now and expect to make a decision this October. The corps, along with the Environmental Protection Agency requested the review from the academy as input.

 Here are the conclusions of that report: