Montana wants more Missouri River water upstream

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HELENA, Mont. - Montana Gov. Judy Martz has urged a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official to give more consideration to Montana's economic needs in managing Missouri River water.

While she said Tuesday that she understands the demands of downstream states to have water for barge traffic, Martz told Col. Jeffrey Bedey that drawing down the water supplies in upstream reservoirs during ongoing drought is unwise for everyone.

"If you deplete it, we all lose," she said in a meeting at the Capitol.

Bedey, who took over as corps district commander in Omaha last month, made no promises to Martz and other administration officials attending the meeting.

The corps has a difficult job trying to balance diverse interests throughout the Missouri River Basin states, he said.

"I don't know if we ever will be able to make everyone along the basin happy," he said.

The meeting focused on the lingering dispute between upstream states and downstream states over use of the river's water. Missouri, Nebraska and other downstream states want more water for barge traffic and electricity, while upstream states such as Montana and North Dakota argue for retaining reservoir levels for recreation and environmental needs.

The dispute in Montana centers on Fort Peck Lake behind the dam of the same name. It is at an all-time low of 2,201 feet above sea level and continues to drop daily, said Jack Stults, administrator of the Water Resources Division in the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

The reservoir, with a capacity of 18.6 million acre-feet, is half full.

Montana officials learned for the first time Tuesday that Missouri has asked the corps to release more water to extend the barge season for another month beyond the scheduled end of Oct. 15.

Stults said that extension, if granted, would mean further drawdown of Fort Peck and other reservoirs beyond already planned low levels.

He told Bedey the corps has done a poor job of managing the river consistent with the economies throughout the basin. Ensuring more water downstream for barges at the expense of upstream needs ignores the fact that the economic value of river recreation is 10 times greater, he said.

Stults said later that assessment reflects a decline in barge traffic as more ports turn to rail for transporting products.

"Adhering to past allocations (of water) doesn't fit with the economy of the basin," he said.

Bedey, a Montana native, said he will look at the basin's needs as a whole in making river management decisions.

He assured Martz that, if the corps plans actions unfavorable to Montana, he would give the state advance notice.

Martz questioned how much influence can be wielded by a commander who will be assigned to the job for just three years. She wondered whether such rapid turnover in the position results in entrenched staff actually setting policies.

Bedey said he expects several retirements among his senior staff and that will allow him, through hiring replacements, to affect corps policies long after he moves to another assignment.