Attorney General's 2003 Photo Gallery
Low river will damage economy and environment, put power production at risk, Nixon says
August 20, 2003 Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon joined state and business leaders under the Gateway Arch to stress the importance of consistent, navigable water levels for the Missouri River. A federal judge last month ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to restrict the release of water from dams on the upper Missouri, and that has lowered the river level in Missouri. The Corps previously followed a water release schedule spelled out in the Master Manual for the river. The Corps now is considering an alternate plan that will replace the Master Manual, change the release schedule, and drastically lower the river in Missouri more frequently.
Attorney General Nixon, Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri's 8th District and U.S. Sen. Jim Talent of Missouri spoke at a news conference on the St. Louis riverfront. They stated their concerns about how low levels on the Missouri River were causing the Mississippi River to also be at record low levels, resulting in a negative economic impact to Missouri and its businesses.