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Bill Would Drop Corps' Mo. River Wildlife Focus

Missouri River flooding between Rulo, Neb. and Waverly, Neb.
(via Flickr/Kansas City District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Susan Abbott )
Missouri River flooding between Rulo, Neb. and Waverly, Neb.

Four members of Missouri's congressional delegation have filed legislation aimed at dropping the wildlife focus on the Missouri River.

The bill would remove "fish and wildlife" from the list of authorized river management endeavors the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can undertake on the river. It's backed by Republican U.S. Reps. Sam Graves, Blaine Luetkemeyer, Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long.

Graves said in a news release that it's important to re-examine the management of the river after the massive 2011 flooding. The release said the legislation would refocus the corps on navigations and flood management.;

Tom Ball of the Sierra Club called the legislation a "terrible idea." He says the corps has a legal obligation to mitigate the negative effects caused by damming the Missouri River and narrowing its channel.