Missouri River
Many people in Kansas are not happy about the Army Corps of Engineers' plans to release water later this year from their reservoirs to support barge traffic on the Missouri River.
Kansas officials have long criticized the corps for releasing water from Perry, Milford and Tuttle reservoirs. The Missouri is entering its eighth year of drought and the corps is likely to draw water from the three reservoirs later this year when the river flow is expected to hit a low mark.
Last summer, boaters on Lake Perry were angered when the corps opened the sluice gates to release water down the Kansas River and into the Missouri River. The state could avoid releases by purchasing from the federal government the navigational storage capacity of the reservoirs, which could cost in the tens of millions of dollars.
Critics say the drawdowns hurt boating and other forms of recreation, devastating local businesses. They also say the amount of water released has little effect on lifting the Missouri River for any significant length of time.
February 23, 2007 6:46 AM | Category: Watershed