Corps Plans Missouri River Reduction

The Army Corps of Engineers will proceed with plans to reduce flow from an upper Missouri River reservoir despite concerns that it will worsen low-water problems on the Mississippi River.

The corps expects to cut the flow from a South Dakota dam by about 40 percent starting around November 23. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and a barge industry trade group implored the corps to rethink the plan. Less water from the Missouri would lower the pool of the middle Mississippi, potentially halting barge traffic.

Corps officials told The Associated Press Tuesday that efforts such as dredging and rock removal aim to keep the Mississippi open for as long as possible. But spokeswoman Monique Farmer says the agency is obligated to act in the best interest of the Missouri River basin.