The Missouri River Working Group will hold its first meeting next week to discuss issues related to flood control.
Missouri Senators Claire McCaskilland Roy Blunt, along with senators from states along the Missouri River, launched the group to examine the best ways to protect people and property. They’ll also discuss ways to avoid floods, like this summer’s, from happening in the future.
McCaskill says hopefully the states will be able to agree on a policy that makes flood control the Army Corps of Engineers main priority.
“It’s not navigation, it’s not irrigation, it’s not wildlife habitation. It is in fact flood control,” said McCaskill. "And we’ve got to make sure that that becomes crystal clear after the difficulties that everyone has faced this year.”
Historic rainfall and high levels of snow melt have forced the Army Corps to release record levels of water down the Missouri River causing heavy flooding.
Hydrologists expect the river to remain at flood stage until at least August.