Army Corps Of Engineers Warns Of Possible Cutbacks On Mississippi River

Army Corps of Engineers officials say they’ll have to drastically change how they manage navigation and habitats along the Mississippi River.

Officials who work closely with the Mississippi River are quick to criticize Washington for not paying enough attention or devoting enough funding to aging infrastructure and a so-called looming catastrophe. As an example: if a lock fails, commercial navigation could be halted.

Major General John Peabody is the president of the Corps’ Mississippi River Commission. He told a public hearing in La Crosse yesterday that federal agencies are working with tighter budgets and the Corps will have to reexamine the way it operates.

“At the end of the day, no matter how much we can squeeze the way we do things to create efficiencies, it won’t be enough to match all the demands placed on these services,” he said. “We’re going to have to start not funding some things. We’re going to have to make really hard choices.”

The Army Corps is looking at reducing hours at some locks. Commercial navigation officials say that would hurt the industry and could raise prices of goods. The Corps is also relying more on advocacy and volunteer groups for river projects.

St. Paul District Commander Colonel Dan Koprowski says they need to strike a balance among shipping, recreational, and environmental needs. “We can’t do everything for everybody all the time, particularly not at current funding level, so we do have to prioritize.”

Koprowski says they’ll be seeking public input and want to know how people are willing to compromise their individual needs.