[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 34 (Thursday, March 23, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1681-S1683]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DASCHLE:
  S. 2291. A bill to provide assistance for efforts to improve 
conservation of, recreation in, erosion control of, and maintenance of 
fish and wildlife habitat of the Missouri River in the State of South 
Dakota, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works.


               the missouri river restoration act of 2000

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, the Missouri River is one of our nation's 
greatest natural resources. Millions of visitors travel to the river 
each year to hunt, camp and fish. Millions more Americans rely on the 
Missouri's federal dams for affordable electricity. And, tens of 
thousands of South Dakotans depend upon the river as their only source 
of clean drinking water.
  The river is rich in history. For thousands of years, Native 
Americans have lived along the river, and countless sites of deep 
spiritual and cultural importance to tribes line its shores. The river 
was also part of the route used by Lewis and Clark as they explored our 
nation. As we approach the bicentennial of that journey, it is expected 
that

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millions of Americans will visit the Missouri River to retrace their 
steps.
  Because the river is so important to the economy of our nation and to 
its heritage, it is critical that we meet head-on the growing array of 
challenges that it is facing. That is why I am introducing the Missouri 
River Restoration Act of 2000. This legislation will provide critically 
needed resources to ensure that future generations will continue to 
benefit from the river as we do today.
  I am deeply concerned by the dramatic changes that we have witnessed 
since the construction of four federal dams on the river in South 
Dakota decades ago. These dams, which have prevented billions of 
dollars of flood-related damage downstream to cities like St. Louis, 
have altered the natural flow of the river. Sediment that used to be 
carried downstream, giving the river its nickname of ``Big Muddy,'' is 
now being deposited in South Dakota's reservoirs, Lake Oahe, Lake 
Sharpe, Lake Francis Case and Lewis and Clark Lake.
  The siltation of the river is having a dramatic impact. In the cities 
of Pierre and Ft. Pierre, it has raised the water table and flooded 
shoreline homes. Already, Congress has had to authorize a $35 million 
project to relocate hundreds of affected families, and the Corps of 
Engineers has been forced to curtail the generation of electricity at 
Oahe dam in the wintertime to prevent additional flooding. In the town 
of Springfield, the economy has suffered a decline in tourism because 
few boaters can navigate the tons of silt that have clogged the river.
  The problem will only grow more serious in the future. Each year, the 
river's tributaries deliver more than 40 million tons of sediment to 
the reservoirs. It is estimated that in less than 75 years, Lewis and 
Clark lake--the smallest of the reservoirs--will fill with sediment 
completely. The lake, and the development and recreation the lake has 
created for cities like Springfield and Yankton, will disappear 
altogether.
  The economic impact of these changes on South Dakota would be very 
serious. Currently, visitors to counties bordering the Missouri River 
spend over $85 million each year. Anglers spend over $200 million in 
the state, and support more than 5,400 jobs. The loss of the Missouri's 
fisheries to sedimentation and the decline in the number of visitors to 
the river would have grave economic consequences. Furthermore, 
limitations imposed on electrical generation and flood control caused 
by sedimentation will have a dramatic impact in states throughout our 
region, as electricity prices and damages from flooding increase.
  In addition to the problems caused by the siltation of the river, the 
river has faced a growing amount of erosion. While erosion is natural 
on all rivers, its pace has picked up on the Missouri due to the 
operation of the dams. Erosion has destroyed thousands of acres of 
farmland and is a serious threat to irreplaceable sites of spiritual 
importance to Indian tribes. Thousands of sites, ranging from burial 
grounds to campsites, are found up and down the Missouri River in South 
Dakota. It is unacceptable to let them wash away into the river. We 
must respect all those who came before us, and preserve this part of 
our nation's heritage.

  Last January, Governor Bill Janklow, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Chairman 
Mike Jandreau and I hosted a Missouri River Summit in the city of 
Springfield to bring together the best minds in the state to find a 
solution to these pressing problems. Over 400 South Dakotans attended 
this meeting and provided their thoughts and ideas. Virtually all those 
in attendance agreed that there is a critical need for more resources 
to improve conservation, to stop erosion and to help communities better 
utilize the river. The Missouri River Restoration Act of 2000 will help 
us to meet these goals as soon as possible.
  This legislation, which I have developed in consultation with 
Governor Janklow of South Dakota, Chairman Jandreau and other state 
leaders, would establish a $200 million federal trust fund to provide 
the resources necessary to address the critical needs of the Missouri 
River watershed. Of these funds, 30 percent would be set aside for 
projects in Indian reservations or administered by Indian tribes.
  Trust fund revenues would be administered by a 25-member ``Missouri 
River Trust'' composed of all the river's major stakeholders. Each of 
South Dakota's nine Indian tribes would appoint one member, as would 
the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota. The remainder would be 
appointed by the Governor, and must equally represent environmental, 
agricultural, hydropower and other river interests. In consultation 
with appropriate federal agencies, the Trust must develop a plan for 
the use of trust fund revenues that will reduce the siltation of the 
river by improving conservation in fragile riparian lands, better 
protect Indian cultural and historical sites, reduce erosion and 
improve our ability to recreate on the river. It will also be 
responsible for reviewing grant proposals to meet these goals.
  Funding decisions would be made by a 5-member Executive Committee. To 
ensure that its decisions are balanced and represent the best interests 
of the state, the Executive Committee must be composed of members 
representing tribal, hydropower, agricultural, environmental and state 
government interests.
  By establishing a trust fund and administrating board that 
effectively represents all stakeholders, we can provide South Dakota 
with the tools it needs to preserve the Missouri River for generations 
to come. I hope my colleagues will give this important legislation 
their support.
  I ask unanimous consent that an editorial from the Sioux Falls Argus 
Leader be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                Missouri River trust fund is worthy idea


        Good management is vitally important to state's economy

       Nothing has chiseled South Dakota's personality and 
     tailored its economy quite like the Missouri River. Though, 
     it geographically divides the state into East River and West 
     River, it is the lifeblood that unites the state as one.
       The powerful waters of the Missouri River, which once 
     determined survival for early settlers, are central today to 
     the state's economic well-being and its quality of life.
       Growing communities like Sioux Falls--and smaller towns 
     like Pipestone, Minn.--look to the river as a future water 
     source to sustain residential and industrial growth.
       Yet, riverside landowners have seen acres of their property 
     swept away by the unruly river while others watch tons of 
     silt clog the channel, increasing lowland flooding and 
     killing recreational opportunities.
       The millions of tons of silt that accumulate in the river 
     also have negatively affected wildlife and recreation.
       Properly managed, its waters can nurture the environment, 
     enhance recreation and tourism opportunities and support 
     growing communities.
       However, the practices that controlled the Missouri River 
     in past decades do not necessarily well serve state residents 
     today. With the dawn of the 21st century, it's time to 
     rethink and revamp policies established in the 1940s and 
     '50s.
       The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun tweaking 
     longstanding practices to improve habitat for fish and birds 
     along North America's largest reservoir system. It also has 
     developed a plan to address the sediment buildup near Pierre 
     and Fort Pierre.
       It is unacceptable, however, to allow the problems to be 
     addressed in a piecemeal fashion. The reasons are clear. 
     Consider:
       Visitors spent an estimated $85.2 million in 1998 on 
     lodging, food and beverage in countries along the Missouri 
     River.
       In 1996, anglers on South Dakota waterway spent $206.4 
     million in the state, generated more than $8 million in state 
     sales taxes, and supported more than 5,400 jobs.
       Last year, 1.6 million people visited recreation areas 
     along the Missouri River to hike, hunt, fish and participate 
     in water sports.
       More than 300,000 South Dakotans will ultimately receive 
     clean and safe drinking water from the Missouri River through 
     the Mid-Dakota, Mni Wiconi, WEB and proposed Lewis and Clark 
     water systems.
       The four hydroelectric dams of the Missouri River provide 
     cheap, clean hydroelectric power to about 3.5 million people 
     in the Missouri River Basin. Rural customers benefit the most 
     from this low-cost power supply.
       If something isn't done soon, tourism, recreation and 
     hydropower generation will be hobbled. Homeowners and 
     businesses will be hurt.
       To this end, we support Tom Daschle, D-S.D., who is 
     pressing federal legislation to create a ``Missouri River 
     Trust Fund'' to protect and enhance the river. The fund would 
     support efforts to reverse the sediment build-up and short 
     erosion that have taken place on the river since construction 
     of federal dams in the 1960s. It also would pay for 
     improvements in recreation, conservation and the protection 
     of cultural sites. It would also extend the ability of the 
     dams to generate affordable electricity for the region.

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       A trust fund would ensure that a steady source of revenue 
     would be available to address the problems for years to come.
       Daschle is rallying support of federal, state, local and 
     tribal leaders and wants to secure the first installment this 
     year.
       The sooner the better.

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