Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act

Floor Speech

UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER BASIN PROTECTION ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 17, 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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