|
 |
OmahaRiverFront.com
- RIVER NEWS
Letter from Senator Tom Daschle - Senate Majority Leader
from South Dakota - Regarding Missouri River management
|
|
 |
|
|
|
EDITOR'S
NOTE: The following letter was received today by a concerned reader and boater who also happens to reside in
Brandon, South Dakota. He has agreed
to share the contents with us:
|
Dear David:
Thank you for your continued interest in the management of the Missouri
River. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter further.
I noted your concerns about my earlier statement that "the Corps has
drained our reservoirs to support a tiny downstream barge industry."
Downstream barge traffic accounts for just $7 million a year, compared
to the $40 million-a-year sport fishing industry in South Dakota. Four
of the six Missouri River dams are in South Dakota, but they are
operated by the Corps at the expense of fish, wildlife, and recreation
in our state.
A perfect example of this problem is the Corps of Engineers' plan to
lower water levels at Lake Oahe this spring and summer so more water
will be available for barges. This is expected to kill 100 percent of
the walleye and smelt spawn in the lake this year, and the lower water
levels will have significant adverse effects on recreational boating
opportunities this summer as boat ramps are left high and dry.
Your point is well taken that recreation and barge traffic provide an
economic boost to Sioux City and other downstream communities, but this
is far outweighed by the damage done to the state's fishing and
recreational opportunities. The Corps has already spent 12 years on
the Master Manual revisions, and it is my hope that it will complete
work soon so we can finally take the concrete steps necessary to bring
balance back to the management of the river.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please stay in touch.
With best wishes, I am
Sincerely,
Tom Daschle
United States Senate
TAD/clv |
|
| |
|
Comments
from Readers |
| Dear Tom, You seem to believe that your state is the only state
that has fishing and boating, and all NE. and IA. has is barge traffic. Get
out of your wilderness shack and come visit the big city. We use the river
for all you use your lakes for and more. NOT JUST BARGE TRAFFIC. Your poor
little losses are not close to the economic losses down- stream.
Here is a idea for Omaha, NE., a huge man made lake for real boats, with
restaurants, bars, and marinas (ex. Lake of the Ozarks and Okiboji), now
build your river front on the lake and let the northern states have the
water. They seem to be getting their way no matter what we do. -
Chuck Sorenson |
|
 |
|
|
