“Currently, barge and shipping traffic along the Mississippi River has been drastically reduced due to debris in the shipping lands and the closure of the Port of New Orleans. This affects the entire shipping industry upriver, including the Missouri River,” Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a letter to Colonel Jeffery Bedey at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “While the storm damage and effects to those impacted in the immediate area needs to remain our number one priority, we also need to examine the national and regional impacts.”

            The Missouri River provides the water levels into Fort Peck Reservoir in eastern Montana. The reservoir has suffered from repeated years of drought and currently experiences low lake levels. Although the reservoir received rainfall this year, the lake still lacks ample water supply.

            “After many years of continued drought, Montana finally received a reprieve and the lake level at Ft. Peck Reservoir actually rose slightly this summer, “ Rehberg wrote. “However, the overall lake level remains more than 40 feet below full pool and as you know, we are constantly looking for ways to retain water in the up stream reservoirs. I urge you to consider temporarily slowing releases from the up stream sources until down stream traffic resumes normal operation.”

Letter Attached:

September 12, 2005

Colonel Jeffery A. Bedey

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

215 N.17th Street

Omaha, NE 68102-4978

Dear Col. Bedey,

The Hurricane Katrina disaster along the gulf coast has impacted the entire Mississippi River basin, including your territory governing the Missouri River basin.  While the storm damage and effects to those impacted in the immediate area needs to remain our number one priority, we also need to examine the national and regional impacts.

Currently, barge and shipping traffic along the Mississippi River has been drastically reduced due to debris in the shipping lanes and the closure of the Port of New Orleans.  This affects the entire shipping industry upriver, including the Missouri River.  After many years of continued drought, Montana finally received a reprieve and the lake level at the Ft. Peck Reservoir actually rose slightly this summer.  However, the overall lake level remains more than 40 feet below full pool and, as you know, we are constantly looking for ways to retain water in the up stream reservoirs.  I urge you to consider temporarily slowing releases from the up stream sources until down stream traffic resumes its normal operation.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Denny Rehberg

Montana’s Congressman