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Read. Follow. Verify.Senate Oversight Hearing: 2019 Missouri River Basin Flooding
Record date · January 1, 2019
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What This Bill Does
This Senate subcommittee hearing examined how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managed water flows during the record-breaking 2019 Missouri River Basin floods. Senators and Corps officials discussed the decision-making process for reservoir management and the impact of extreme weather on regional infrastructure and agriculture.
The hearing evaluates the effectiveness of the Army Corps of Engineers' water management policies, which directly impact flood risk, agricultural planting capacity, and infrastructure stability for residents across the Missouri River Basin.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Agricultural producers
Farmers in the basin faced significant prevented planting due to flooding conditions.
Army Corps of Engineers
The agency is responsible for managing water flows and reservoir levels according to federal mandates.
Key Facts
- The 2019 Missouri River Basin flooding is projected to be the second-highest runoff year on record, with nearly 53 million acre-feet of runoff.
- Agricultural producers were unable to plant crops on 19.4 million acres in 2019, the highest number reported in over a decade.
- The Army Corps of Engineers manages six dams and reservoirs in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota with a combined capacity of 72.4 million acre-feet.
- The Corps operates under the 'Master Water Control Manual,' which balances eight congressionally authorized purposes: flood control, navigation, water supply, water quality, irrigation, recreation, hydropower, and fish and wildlife.
Show all 6 facts
- Extreme weather events in the Missouri River Basin have reached near-record levels in three of the last nine years.
- The hearing took place on August 28, 2019, in North Sioux City, South Dakota.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'Master Manual'?
Why was this hearing held?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceFull breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Increasing Frequency of Extreme Events
The hearing highlights that near-record flooding levels have occurred in 3 of the last 9 years, suggesting a shift in the frequency of extreme weather events that the current Master Manual must manage.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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