Understanding Missouri River's sediment dynamics key to protecting endangered species
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 - 13:21
in Earth & Climate
A new report from the National Research Council says that more organized and systematic procedures for gathering and evaluating data on Missouri River sediment are required to improve decisions and better manage the river's ecosystem, including protecting endangered species and developing water quality standards. In addition, the report finds that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' projects to restore habitats along the Missouri River are not significantly changing the size of the oxygen-depleted "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, nor will options for reintroducing sediment to the system be able to substantially re-establish historic volumes of sediment that were transported downstream to the Louisiana delta.