By Rep. Kristi Noem

                The recent U.S. House Transportation Committee hearing was an important step in the process of finding answers about how, and why, we saw historic flooding all along the Missouri earlier this year.  This was the first, and might be the only, flood hearing that focuses solely on the Missouri River.  Brad Lawrence, who made the trip from Fort Pierre to testify, as well as many of the other witnesses did a great job adding their stories and perspective on what happened earlier this year up and down the Missouri River.

Unfortunately, the testimony we heard from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did little to satisfy my concerns.  At this point, I cannot be sure that the Corps is on track to make the necessary changes to account for the threat of possible flooding in 2012 or beyond. 

The Corps has repeatedly reiterated that it operated in accordance with the master manual and that the rain in May was a significant contributing factor in the flooding.  However, this reasoning does not account for the runoff that occurred from February to April.  While it is likely that some amount of flooding could not be avoided given the runoff and rain flowing into the system, surely something could have been done differently that would have avoided releases that were double and nearly triple previous records.  From the information I have seen, I believe the Corps of Engineers carries some responsibility for this disaster.

I also raised the issue of communication during my testimony at the hearing.  The lack of timely communication between the Corps and impacted communities is the issue about which I hear most frequently from South Dakotans.  Many of those along the river can prepare for higher than normal water releases if given reasonable advance notice and adequate information.  They were afforded neither this year.  I’m pleased the Corps admitted that their communication was less than adequate.  The Corps needs to be committed to more effective notification about runoff, releases and the risk of flooding in the future.

Finally, I look forward to seeing what findings the independent review panel comes up with in their assessment of the 2011 flooding.  Army Corps General McMahon said that the panel should complete its work in December and make it public in January. 

I will continue to work toward solutions that include providing more flexible management tools to account for cyclical trends and still allow for proper balance between the authorized purposes of the system, with a priority on flood control. 

Rep. Kristi Noem is South Dakota’s lone U.S. Representative, elected in November 2010.  She serves on the Agriculture, Education and Workforce and Natural Resources Committees.