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Promote MOARC, advocate for projects/programs, and provide information via website, email, WaterDrops and Water newsletter.

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  • 05 Feb 2025 10:11 AM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    Water scarcity is often viewed as an issue for the arid American West, but the U.S. Northeast’s experience in 2024 shows how severe droughts can occur in just about any part of the country.

    Cities in the Northeast experienced record-breaking drought conditions in the second half of 2024 after a hot, dry summer in many areas. Wildfires broke out in several states that rarely see them.

    By December, much of the region was experiencing moderate to severe drought. Residents in New York City and Boston were asked to reduce their water use, while Philadelphia faced risk to its water supply due to saltwater coming up the Delaware River.

    To read the full article:  

    Drought can hit almost anywhere: How 5 cities that nearly ran dry got water use under control

  • 24 Jan 2025 3:11 PM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    The Corps is currently tracking three ice jams on the Missouri River described in order from upstream to downstream (below). Included are descriptions with either USACE stage plots or NWS plots. Since these are ice-affected rivers, please disregard the flows, which are NOT accurate.

    1.  Above Sioux City near Ponca, NE. The Ponca, NE gage shows some evidence of ice blockage, which had held up water flowing to Sioux City. Ponca gage plot: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/plots/jpegs/pone.jpg. At Sioux City, IA, water with 30% floating ice was moving through Sioux City and the gage has returned to a more normal level following the drop that occurred on Jan. 21. Sioux City gage plot: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/plots/jpegs/sux.jpg.

    2.  Below Blair, NE. A large ice jam has been in place somewhere below Blair (RM 648) and above north Omaha (RM 627). The jam extends upstream to somewhere near Blencoe, IA. The river stage at Blair has risen about 1.5 feet since Thursday afternoon. Blair gage plot: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/plots/jpegs/blne.jpg. The river stage at Decatur, NE (RM 691) has also risen due to addition ice stacking up downstream. Decatur gage plot: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/plots/jpegs/dene.jpg.

    3.  South Omaha, NE. An ice jam is occurring somewhere near RM 606 and has backed up ice through the Omaha riverfront. Stages continue to be high at the Omaha gages (Omaha: https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/OMHN1; Highway 92: https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/MOMN1); however, a stage drop of 3 feet continues downstream at Bellevue, NE due to the upstream ice jam. Bellevue: https://water.noaa.gov/gauges/MTLN1.

    Temperatures will moderate over the weekend with daytime highs in the mid 30s (deg F) and overnight lows in the teens to 20s before a warm-up on Monday. The Gavins Point release of 14,000 cfs will be extended again through noon on Tuesday, January 28. The Corps MRBWM office will re-evaluate this release plan on Monday and Tuesday morning. As a reminder, the USACE Gavins Point and Missouri River forecast can be found at: https://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/reports/pdfs/GRFT.pdf. Official river forecasts for the Missouri River issued by the National Weather Service may be found at: https://www.weather.gov/mbrfc/.  

    This information was supplied to MOARC by PortKC

  • 21 Jan 2025 4:59 PM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    Across the U.S., states have been grappling with increasing water supply and water quality complications largely driven by climate change, aging infrastructure and pollution. A new research and data resource from the U.S. Geological Survey looks to help inform policymakers' and other stakeholders’ efforts to address water supply risks in their communities. 

    In Kansas late last year, for instance, several communities’ water supplies were contaminated by nitrate pollution from crop fertilizer. The situation led to the city of Pratt turning off two wells that make up a quarter of the town’s water supply, sparking concerns of future water shortages if municipalities like Pratt have to continue shutting off that supply. 

    To read the full article:  Feds offer new data, research to refresh states’ water woes - Route Fifty

  • 22 Nov 2024 11:19 AM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    Federal regulators say the Iowa Department of Natural Resources should add half a dozen river segments to the state’s 2024 list of impaired waterways.

    The EPA says nitrate levels in sections of the Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa, Raccoon and South Skunk rivers exceeded safe drinking water standards... 

    To read more:

    EPA says more Iowa river segments are impaired due to high nitrate levels - Radio Iowa

  • 04 Nov 2024 1:45 PM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    Nitrates and other forms of nutrient pollution from agricultural applications are contaminating aquifers and federal intervention is needed to protect drinking water supplies, wrote a coalition of 23 groups from five states to Environmental Protection Agency official Bruno Pigott. The threat is particularly clear in places like Iowa, where Des Moines Water Works operates one of the largest nitrate-removal facilities in the world on an as-needed basis and has had to keep it going for two months in a row to combat elevated levels of nitrates. "The Clean Water Act is very good at reducing pollution from point sources, but for non-point sources, like row crop agriculture, the Clean Water Act has proven not to be a sufficient tool," said Michael Schmidt, a staff attorney at the Iowa Environmental Council.

    To read the full article:  

    Ag Pollution Is Keeping Des Moines Water Works Busy. Can It Keep Up? - Inside Climate News

  • 09 Oct 2024 11:13 AM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    By Keenan Penn II

    Published: Sep. 30, 2024 at 7:03 PM CDT

    WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The final meetings for the Kansas water conservation plan took place on Monday morning in east Wichita.

    The public meeting took place at the Wichita State Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex and brought Kansans in to discuss how to allocate funds intended for the water conservation plan.

    Focal points include drought, proper filtration and the longevity and sustainability of water long-term.

    “Everyone has a role to play in water conservation,” said Lead Facilitator for the Kansas Water Plan Implementation, Julie Lorenz. “...There’s never enough time or money to do everything that everyone wants, so you have to prioritize... we get to the most pressing problems first. "

    To read the full article:

    Kansans gather to discuss water conservation priorities, investment (kwch.com)

  • 26 Sep 2024 4:13 PM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    Protecting North Dakota’s water interests in the Missouri River from downstream and western states will be critical in coming years.

    That was the message several elected officials and members of the public heard Tuesday at a public meeting held by the Missouri River Joint Board as part of its “Educate. Advocate. Engage” initiative. The initiative is designed to educate residents and policy makers and ensure their voices are heard in how the river system is managed.

    “The Missouri River is our greatest natural asset because it’s our most reliable and plentiful source of fresh water. It accounts for over 95 percent of the riverine flow in our state,” said Clay Carufel, an engineer with the North Dakota Department of Water Resources.

    To read the rest of the article:

    ND looks to protect Missouri River interests | News, Sports, Jobs - Minot Daily News

  • 20 Sep 2024 2:48 PM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    States, Native American tribes and local communities could get help accessing federal funds for water infrastructure projects in drought-stricken areas under new U.S. Senate legislation.

    The Water Project Navigators Act – sponsored by U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and John Hickenlooper and Reps. Brittany Pettersen and Juan Ciscomani – would create a program in the Bureau of Reclamation to place “navigator” positions in local, state and tribal communities. Navigators would help connect communities to resources.

    To read full article:

    Sen. Moran helps introduce bill to fund water preservation | Business | derbyinformer.com

  • 20 Sep 2024 2:45 PM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    By Angela Smith

    Published: Sep. 19, 2024 at 12:32 PM CDT

    WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The City of Wichita said it will increase enforcement as it continues Stage 2 water restrictions.

    The city enacted the water restrictions in August. They were set to expire on October 5, but the city said it has seen an uptick in usage.

    To read full article:

    Wichita to continue Stage 2 water restrictions, increase enforcement (kwch.com)

  • 18 Sep 2024 1:26 PM | Melissa Sieben (Administrator)

    MICHIGAMME TOWNSHIP, Michigan — In the sun-drenched forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula stands the black, gaping mouth of the nation’s only operating nickel mine.

    Hundreds of feet below in the darkness, heavy machinery blasts, scrapes and prepares to haul up to the surface rock rich with tiny flecks of high-grade nickel and copper formed more than 1 billion years ago.

    The Eagle mine’s steady stream of dark, gray ore will eventually be shipped to a nearby mill to be processed, placed on rail cars and sent to smelters in Canada before being sold into a global market to feed booming demand for stainless steel — and increasingly, batteries for electric vehicles.

    Deep in the nation’s only nickel mine, industry fights to green its image - E&E News by POLITICO (eenews.net)

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