WASHINGTON, DC - MSAC Executive Director Howard Paul met with officials in Washington in early February.

Joining Paul were Alvin Van Zee, MSAC president and manager of Randall Community Water, and Cheryl Van Zee, manager of South Central Water Development District. MSAC representatives joined City of Pierre officials in their meetings with South Dakota’s congressional delegation.

In addition to meeting with SD officials, Paul also visited with staff for North Dakota, Montana, and Nebraska.

Meetings focused on the problems caused by sedimentation and MSAC’s efforts to address reducing the sediment flow into the reservoirs from tributaries through land and watershed management.

Plans are underway to reintroduce two bills that failed - $800,000 for the NRCS to study tributary sediment origination in the four upper Missour i Basin states and $75,000 for the COE to study the best type and location for a demonstration project.

Pierre officials requested an extension and additional authorization to complete the buy out of homes in Fort Pierre and Pierre.

Mayor Dennis Eisnach, Commissioner Stan Schwellenbach and Public Works Director Rod Liesinger, who also is a MSAC board of director, were the representatives of Pierre in attendance.

Discussion continues regarding setting up a meeting of the four upper Missouri Basin states, plus Minnesota and Iowa, to discuss ways to gain support from downstream states in addressing sediment problems. May or June is the potential timeframe. Support for such a meeting was given, however concern was expressed whether it could be accomplished.