[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 17, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN PROTECTION ACT

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                               speech of

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 10, 2007

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H.R. 2381, the Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act, which 
improves the management of sediment and nutrient loss in the Upper 
Mississippi River Basin by establishing a coordinated public-private 
strategy.
  Water quality in the Upper Mississippi River is critical to the 
ecological health of the system and is intricately linked to the 
basin's vast drainage. The Mississippi River is a multi-use resource 
where commercial navigation, water supply, and recreational demands co-
exist with natural resources. Millions of tons of commodities are 
transported on the river annually. More than 30 million residents rely 
on the river water to supply their communities with water. And the 
river hosts about 12 million recreational visitors annually. At the 
same time, the Mississippi River is home to a wide variety of wildlife.
  Unfortunately, the health of the Upper Mississippi River Basin has 
deteriorated over the years as a result of nonpoint source runoff from 
land. While agriculture is the lifeblood of many economies along the 
river, it has contributed to sediment and nutrient buildup that has 
been detrimental to the health of the river. These sediments and 
nutrients are transported downstream creating a zone of low dissolved 
oxygen in the Gulf of Mexico called the ``Dead Zone.''
  We must find ways to harmonize our economy with our environment in 
order to preserve the Upper Mississippi River Basin. H.R. 2381 take 
steps in that direction by supporting a sediment and nutrient 
monitoring and data collection system for the Upper Mississippi River 
Basin. This Act will provide much-needed objective data to help manage 
the increasing sediment and nutrient crisis this river faces.

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