The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working collaboratively on the study
with Tribes, Federal and State agencies, and other Stakeholders within the
Missouri River Basin and also along the Mississippi River. In the process
people in the basin have had, and will continue to have, input into how
the Missouri is managed in the future. Thats what makes this study
historic - this has never happened before.
MRAPS completed the scoping process last year will begin the review of the
purposes this year. MRAPS was authorized for 5 million per year for 5
years. Some members of Missouris Congressional Delegation have asked the
House and Senate Appropriations Committees not to fund the remaining years
of the study.
This study needs to be completed and its recommendations sent on to
Congress to make changes in the operation of the Missouri River. And
changes are needed. The GAO documented that while taxpayers are spending
millions to support barge traffic on the river, 84 percent of the traffic
on the Missouri River is transporting sand and gravel, with 54 percent of
those shipments traveling less than one mile, and 85 percent traveling
less than 10 miles. MRAPS represents the best - and perhaps only - chance
to improve how funds are invested in the river and to make the river more
fish and wildlife friendly. Changes in operation will save future tax
dollars and provide great economic benefits to the basin through increased
recreational spending.
Re: Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study (MRAPS) Funding
We, the undersigned groups, support continued full funding for the
Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study (MRAPS). MRAPS is a broad-based
congressionally authorized study that will, for the first time, review the
eight authorized Missouri River project purposes established by the Flood
Control Act (FCA) of 1944. This study will analyze the purposes in terms
of what is best for the American taxpayer, the people within the entire
basin, fish and wildlife, and todays economic values and priorities,
rather than those of nearly 70 years ago.
The eight purposes: flood control, hydropower, recreation, fish and
wildlife, irrigation, water supply, water quality, and navigation have not
been reviewed since the FCA was written in 1944. The Missouri, the longest
river in America, in essence is operating on a 67 year old business plan.
This review is urgently needed and long overdue.
Some of the authorized purposes meet or greatly surpass the FCAs
expectations. Recreation today exceeds original FCA estimates by more than
10 times. Other purposes have fallen way short. Navigation on the Missouri
today is less than one tenth what the FCA estimated it would be. This
dramatically demonstrates why this five year review has to be fully
funded, completed, and its recommendations sent on to Congress.
Continued full funding of MRAPS is a smart investment. A comprehensive
review and accompanying changes will streamline future Corps operational
expenses. This will save tax dollars and will bring Missouri River
management into the 21st century.
I strongly urge you to support full funding for the Missouri River
Authorized Purposes Study.
However I must show you who is against the review of the designated uses
and the analysis of their development & economic contribution to our
region. Every individual on this list needs to be contacted and urged to
Support the full funding of MRAPS and stop trying to cover up the
continued waste of tax payer dollars for a management strategy that
continues to bail out and support a failed industry. This continued waste
at the moment is costing tax payers a minimum 9 million a year. What some
are suggesting be done is to continue to spend that 9 million to support
the present designated uses as they are without review. If this study is
not done, TAX PAYERS could be on the hook for another 67 years for 9
million dollars or worse, more spending to support an industry that will
never be sustainable on it's own merits especially in the stretch of the
Mo. River that runs through Iowa & Nebraska.
Here's a list of the members of the House and Senate that have signed on
to the latest letter from Missouri asking for no more funding for MRAPS.
Members of Missouri's congressional delegation signing the
Luetkemeyer letter included Sen. Roy Blunt, Sen. Claire McCaskill, Rep.
Sam Graves, Rep. Todd Akin, Rep. Billy Long, and Rep. Vicky Hartzler.
Also signing are Illinois Reps. Adam Kinzinger, Aaron Schock, John
Shimkus, Bobby Schilling; and
Iowa Reps. Leonard Boswell, Bruce Braley, Dave Loebsack and Steve King.
Now here are some facts that should open your eyes to the continued waste
of tax payer dollars for the purpose of supporting navigation through the
Iowa & Nebraska portion of the Mo. River.
Two states, Iowa and Missouri, are served by navigation on both the
Missouri River and the Mississippi River. Both private companies and the
Corps have conducted navigation activities on the Missouri River to and/or
from these states. Companies transport numerous commodities, such as
fertilizer, which is shipped from a port of origin to a port of
destination, or sand and gravel, which some companies mine from the river
and then transport to a processing facility on shore. In addition, the
Corps conducts river maintenance and habitat recovery projects, which
require the shipment of waterway improvement material, such as stone or
rock. In this context, Congress asked GAO to determine (1) the annual and
total tonnage of commodity shipments for each state served by the Missouri
River, and (2) the comparable tonnage of commodity shipments transported
on the Mississippi River for states served by both the Missouri and
Mississippi rivers.
Of the total commodity tonnage shipped on the Missouri River between 1994
and 2006, 83 percent (100,183,464 tons) originated and/or terminated in
the state of Missouri.
For the other states served by navigation on the Missouri River, Kansas
accounted for 12 percent (14,171,543 tons), Nebraska accounted for 3
percent (3,279,355), and Iowa accounted for 2 percent (2,578,890) of the
tonnage transported.
Tonnage shipped per year over the 13-year period has ranged between 6.9
million and 9.7 million tons. The majority of the shipments on the
Missouri River during this period were of sand and gravel, which accounted
for 84 percent (about 91.3 million tons) of the total tonnage shipped.
Of this amount, approximately 54 percent of the sand and gravel was
transported 1 mile or less, 31 percent between 2 and 9 miles, and 14
percent was transported 10 miles or more.
According to Corps officials, the short distance traveled is because
private companies often mine sand and gravel directly from the Missouri
River and then ship the material short distances to a processing facility
on shore.
As you can clearly see, Iowa & Nebraska navigational Industry is not and
has not been a economical benefit to the region. In large part the barges
that have gone up or down this section of the Mo. River have been mining
sand & gravel to maintain the present navigational channel for the
navigation purposes that just simply does not exist in Iowa.
The number 1 most active entity of barges up and down the section of the
Mo. River that runs through Iowa & Nebraska is drum roll please, The Army
Corps of Enginers. They are spending your TAX PAYER dollars to maintain a
navigational channel for GHOST SHIPS and the phantom navigational industry
that just simply has not materialized to be the economic benefit to the
region as the developing planners had envisioned. The truth of the matter
is, it never will because of the region being highly susceptible to
drought conditions north of Gavins Point Dam. Low water tables or no
water, limits what you can get up or down river.
However the Mo. Delegation wishes to continue to spend 9 million a year of
your tax payer dollars to maintain the Iowa & Nebraska portion of the
river for Navigational purposes. Now you do the math. 9 million a year for
the next 67 years vs the 5 million a year for 4 more years to complete the
evaluation and priority of said purposes and economic benefits.
Clearly as a Tax payer you can understand why the Mo. Delegation wishes
Congress to prevent the completion of MRAPS funding. It would expose the
truth that we are spending millions to maintain a navigational industry in
Iowa & Nebraska the just simply is and has been non-existent and they wish
to keep that funding going for their own benefit of a simple few who
without being subsidized by you the tax payer would have simply failed and
closed shop long ago.
They do not want Congress to see the facts related to other designated
uses and their Economic growth statistics. If congress did ,they certainly
might apply common sense and apply that 9 million a year to other
designated purposes that have proven to be a Economic benefit to the
region and to the rural communities in Iowa & Nebraska. Another
perspective to keep in mind is that the MRAPS study would prove without a
doubt that the navigation Industry in the Iowa & Nebraska stretch does not
require to be funded, thus reducing the burden placed on TAX Payers. We
would find out that other investment opportunities are in fact a more
responsible use / application of TAX PAYER DOLLARS.
Simply put!
However I as an Iowa Constituent am deeply ashamed of the Iowa delegation
who has gone along with trying to undermine the purpose of MRAPS. In my
opinion they have been Hoodwinked. They simply are looking at this issue
from the wrong perspective because it would save us Millions if not
Billions down the road, why at the same time create and generate the
support for other designated uses & purposes that have grown and continue
to grow rural economies.
I am asking you as an Iowan to e mail our Iowa delegation in DC asking
them to Support and fully fund the MRAPS study. It could save us millions
why at the same time open other and greater economic opportunities for the
state of Iowa & Nebraska. To continue to fund Navigational management of
the Mo. River that runs through Iowa & Nebraska is like continuing to Fund
the Bridge to Nowhere project. It is simply irresponsible and we should
hold our states delegation accountable for the continued bailout support
for a navigational industry that isn't in IOWA or NEBRASKA.
As a state we get a River that is to be managed like a sewage ditch on the
battle fields of Iraq or Afghanistan, why southern counter parts are the
only ones to reap the benefits of an industry that even in their own state
hasn't even materialized.
Past and Future Grain Traffic on the Missouri River
C. Phillip Baumel, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in
Agriculture
Iowa State University
Commercial barge traffic has been declining since 1977
Reduced wheat production, highly competitive railroad
system, high Missouri Rivers barge costs, growth of
local-domestic markets
No reason to believe these trends will reverse
Public cost of navigation on the Missouri River exceeds
benefits to shippers
In closing my fellow Iowan's, please contact our Iowa DC delegation and
request that they support the complete funding of the MRAPS Study. If we
do not take action we maybe forced to continue to spend 9 million dollars
a year of tax payer dollars on a Ghost Navigational Industry that does not
exist in Iowa and never has on our stretch of the Mo. River. Other
designated uses & said economies have grown in other regions of the Mo.
River in other states and a prime example of that growth is SD
recreational Industry on the Mo River that contributes 200 million dollars
annually to it's state economy and rural economies.
A 100 million dollar plus ANNUAL recreational Economy on the Mo. River
that runs through Iowa is something that MRAPS would uncover and expose
our true potential. However some with in the Mo. Delegation do not want
these truths exposed and only seek to keep Iowa's portion of the Mo. River
managed for their own benefit. Pure & Simple
The Mo. River should be a National Treasure not a National Travesty!
Thank You for your time and your help in this very critical issue.
Respectfully,
William J. Smith
Sioux City Iowa 5309 hwy 75n lot 44
51108
712-253-0362
[email protected]
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