Another low

http://bismarcktribune.com/articles/2003/11/06/news/state/sta01.txt

Just to give you some back story here, the Army Corps of Engineers
manages the five dams on the Missouri River according to a manual
written back in the 1950's, which places the highest priority on
serving the barge shipping industry on the lower reaches of the river.
Said shipping industry currently consists of two (2) barge operators,
which employ on the order of 30 employees at near minimum wages,
that ships about 0.25% of the farm crops grown in the downstream
states, and generates about $7 million in economic activity.

The reservoirs upstream support an $87 million sport fishing and
recreation industry. Fort Peck reservoir in Montana and Lake Sakakawea
in North Dakota are both currently more than 20 feet below normal
pool level, after being drawn down in the summers of 2002 and 2003
in order to maintain sufficient flow for the barge shipping seasons.
The Corps of Engineers spent $8 million extending the boat ramps
just on Fort Peck reservoir in the summer of 2002, due to low water
levels.

The Corps of Engineers is currently under a court order to revise the
operating manual in order to conform to the Endangered Species Act,
with a December deadline. The Corps has previously been held in
contempt of court for failure to do so.

Sorry for going Muskie on you all, but Bush II is the worst
administration ever.

Kevin,
who, oddly enough, doesn't feel much better for venting.