The Waterways Journal

Steven Solomon, who is writing a book on the Mississippi River and its future, ponders the aftermath of the Flood of 2011 for Bloomberg News.

But some of what Solomon says should happen—such as the Corps setting aside and restoring more wetlands  along the river—has actually been happening for decades. Let’s hope his forthcoming book presents a complete picture.

A northwestern Illinois paper draws attention to Illinois’ locks, some of the nation’s oldest, being kept together “with baling wire and duct tape.”

Never mind “peak oil.”

Could the world hit “peak fertilizer”, limiting the potential for the doubling of calorie production that the world needs to 2050 to keep up with an expanding population, much of which is upgrading its diet?

“Our Midwest is blessed in that along with its vast expanse it harbors great human talent and a wide-ranging inland waterway system providing transport economies that permit our crops to reach world markets effectively and efficiently. The question needs be asked, are we preparing the nation for the tasks and responsibilities ahead?”

Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) introduced a bill yesterday (June 15) to require the Corps of Engineers to study and report, publicly and in detail, on any adverse economic impacts from future carp-fighting measures.

Time is reporting that a House committee chaired by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) has approved $1 billion for repair of flood structures, including levees. Most interesting is where the money is coming from:

“The New Jersey Republican offset the cost of the amendment by cutting $1 billion in unspent money from President Barack Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus measure. The money had been intended for high speed rail projects.”

The high-speed rail systems of some other countries, including France, Japan, and China, were once held up as a model for U.S. planners to follow. But a recent Washington Post article highlights problems with China’s high-speed rail system.

In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a novel proposal for adjustments to flood-easement contracts between private property-owners and the Corps of Engineers.

Bloomberg/Businessweek’s long piece on the lower Mississippi in the days ahead and why, according to one expert, the danger time for levees comes as water levels drop.

As always happens in a flood emergency, the Corp of Engineers’ critics are piling on to take advantage of unprecedented Missouri River flooding.

But Sen. Roy Blunt (R.Mo.) says any shortcomings in how the Corps manages the Missouri River reservoirs are due to funding cuts and the earmark ban.