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"Thanks for asking about how to succeed on the Admin Track. Our last three deans have been a bouncer in London, a deputy sheriff in South Georgia, and a corrections officer in Texas. Does that help?" - @ass_deans
Anna E. Normand updated (3 May 2023) CRS InFocus report: 'U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nuisance Species Efforts'.
Download CRS_InFocus_Rpt_USACE_Nuisanace_Species_Efforts_3May2023
Introduction
Nuisance species are species that cause, or are likely to cause, economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Nuisance species impact both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. As human societies have become more connected, opportunities for the spread of non-native nuisance species (i.e., invasive species) have increased (e.g., navigation activities can transport species and introduce them to multiple different watersheds and waterbodies). Many federal and nonfederal agencies managing land and water undertake efforts to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species. Upon detection of nuisance species, agencies may devote resources to control and/or eradication efforts.Congress has authorized various programs for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) nuisance species activities and has expanded the scope of the authorizations as well as the appropriations for these activities. This In Focus discusses USACE nuisance species control efforts, including selected authorities, programs, and funding.
Effects of Nuisance Species
After introduction, invasive species may become established and spread; once established, it can be costly and difficult (or impossible, in some cases) to control or eradicate them. For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11011, Invasive Species: A Brief Overview.Harmful algal blooms (HABs) also can affect aquatic systems and their uses. Algal communities are naturally occurring components of healthy aquatic ecosystems. However, under certain environmental conditions—such as increased temperatures and nutrient concentrations (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus)—colonies of algae can grow excessively (or bloom) and produce toxins, becoming nuisance species. For more information, see CRS In Focus IF10690, Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms: An Overview.
USACE, part of the Department of Defense, develops and maintains civil works projects in the United States, principally to improve navigation, reduce flood and storm damage, and restore aquatic ecosystems. USACE is the steward of approximately 12 million acres of public lands and waters associated with hundreds of water resources projects nationwide. Nuisance species can affect USACE projects by outcompeting beneficial species, clogging water pipes, and affecting water quality and recreation. Invasive species affecting USACE projects include Asian carp, zebra and quagga mussels, feral hogs, and hydrilla (an aquatic plant species), among others. In addition, HABs have affected the aquatic systems where USACE projects exist. USACE projects can also serve as a vector for transporting nuisance species that damage other water bodies.
USACE Nuisance Species Activities
USACE generally undertakes efforts to prevent or reduce the introduction and establishment of invasive species and the proliferation of HABs at its projects, pursuant to its project and programmatic authorizations (some of which authorize specific activities), nationwide Invasive Species Policy Guidance, and engineering regulations. USACE typically funds nuisance species work for individual projects through project funding lines in the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) account; project planning documents address the nature of work at the project level. USACE also pursues nuisance species research that may involve field studies at USACE projects. As part of its regulatory responsibilities, USACE also may require permit applicants to consider nuisance species control. In FY2022, USACE spent an estimated $237.1 million on nuisance species activities; Figure 1 specifies this funding by response type.
Updating USACE Nuisance Species Policies
The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (P.L. 116-9) and America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (P.L. 116-188) amended the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. §§661 et seq.) to direct the Secretary of the Army to develop and implement a strategic plan for an invasive species program to achieve an annual net reduction of invasive species populations on
land or water managed by USACE. The Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA) 2020; Division AA of P.L. 116-260) further directed USACE to periodically update its Invasive Species Policy Guidance. USACE published an updated guidance document in February 2023, which affirms collaboratively managing with partners both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species and HABs. The document also stated that USACE had drafted the strategic plan mandated by the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, which is to be used when finalized.
USACE Nuisance Species Programs
USACE has several programs that address nuisance species activities. Congress has amended the authorized activities under some of these programs and authorized pilot programs. Congress funds these programs annually, usually at a level higher than the Administration requested.Aquatic Plant Control Program. Section 104 of the River and Harbor Act of 1958, as amended (33 U.S.C. §610), authorizes the Aquatic Plant Control Program, a program for the prevention, control, and progressive eradication of noxious aquatic plant growths and aquatic invasive species in U.S. waters. The program supports research and development of management solutions for invasive aquatic plants that affect USACE missions. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-121) and subsequent WRDAs have amended this authority to also require USACE to establish and operate watercraft inspection and decontamination stations in selected river basins to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (such as quagga and zebra mussels) at USACE reservoirs. These watercraft inspection stations are to be constructed, operated, and maintained with a 50% federal cost share. Appropriations are authorized at $130.0 million annually for these stations. For FY2023, Congress appropriated $38.0 million for the Aquatic Plant Control Program under USACE’s Construction account, including $16.0 million for watercraft inspection and decontamination stations.
Aquatic Nuisance Research Program. The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, as amended (16 U.S.C. §4722), authorized the Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Program. An expansion of the former Zebra Mussel Research Program, the program supports research on new methods for preventing, detecting, monitoring, and controlling invasive aquatic species, as well as HABs, that impact navigable waters, infrastructure, and associated water resources. USACE disseminates this information to its field offices. Program activities do not require a nonfederal cost share.
Congress has recently authorized and funded new HAB activities under this program. WRDA 2018 (Title I of P.L. 115-270) directed USACE’s Engineer Research and Development Center to implement a five-year HAB technology development demonstration program. WRDA 2020 authorized $25 million for a HAB Demonstration Program, which was amended further in WRDA 2022 (Title LXXXI of Division H of P.L. 117-263). USACE released implementation guidance for the HAB Demonstration Program in 2022 and anticipates releasing a request for proposals in FY2023. In FY2023, Congress appropriated $23.0 million for the Aquatic Nuisance Research Program
USACE Nuisance Species Programs
USACE has several programs that address nuisance species activities. Congress has amended the authorized activities under some of these programs and authorized pilot programs. Congress funds these programs annually, usually at a level higher than the Administration requested.Aquatic Plant Control Program. Section 104 of the River and Harbor Act of 1958, as amended (33 U.S.C. §610), authorizes the Aquatic Plant Control Program, a program for the prevention, control, and progressive eradication of noxious aquatic plant growths and aquatic invasive species in U.S. waters. The program supports research and development of management solutions for invasive aquatic plants that affect USACE missions. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-121) and subsequent WRDAs have amended this authority to also require USACE to establish and operate watercraft inspection and decontamination stations in selected river basins to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (such as quagga and zebra mussels) at USACE reservoirs. These watercraft inspection stations are to be constructed, operated, and maintained with a 50% federal cost share. Appropriations are authorized at $130.0 million annually for these stations. For FY2023, Congress appropriated $38.0 million for the Aquatic Plant Control Program under USACE’s Construction account, including $16.0 million for watercraft inspection and decontamination stations.
Aquatic Nuisance Research Program. The Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, as amended (16 U.S.C. §4722), authorized the Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Program. An expansion of the former Zebra Mussel Research Program, the program supports research on new methods for preventing, detecting, monitoring, and controlling invasive aquatic species, as well as HABs, that impact navigable waters, infrastructure, and associated water resources. USACE disseminates this information to its field offices. Program activities do not require a nonfederal cost share.
Congress has recently authorized and funded new HAB activities under this program. WRDA 2018 (Title I of P.L. 115-270) directed USACE’s Engineer Research and Development Center to implement a five-year HAB technology development demonstration program. WRDA 2020 authorized $25 million for a HAB Demonstration Program, which was amended further in WRDA 2022 (Title LXXXI of Division H of P.L. 117-263). USACE released implementation guidance for the HAB Demonstration Program in 2022 and anticipates releasing a request for proposals in FY2023. In FY2023, Congress appropriated $23.0 million for the Aquatic Nuisance Research Program under USACE’s O&M account and directed $18.0 million of the funding to address HABs, including $5.0 million for the HAB Demonstration Program. Under USACE’s O&M account and directed $18.0 million of the funding to address HABs, including $5.0 million for the HAB Demonstration Program.
Example USACE Nuisance Species Project
In some cases, Congress has authorized USACE to undertake nuisance species control efforts at specific water resource projects. An example is USACE efforts in the Chicago area to control the transfer of aquatic invasive species, including Asian carp, between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basins. Congress funded USACE’s construction and operation of underwater electric barriers in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, which is a hydrologic link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Congress further authorized the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study to evaluate potential methods to prevent aquatic invasive species transfer between the basins. Study recommendations included a “Technology Alternative,” consisting of nonstructural measures, an acoustic fish deterrent, an air bubble curtain, an engineered channel, an electric barrier, and a flushing lock at Brandon Road Lock and Dam. In 2019, the USACE Chief of Engineers signed a report recommending this alternative with a construction cost of $830.8 million (FY2019 levels) at a 65% federal cost share and operation and maintenance at an 80% federal cost share. WRDA 2020 authorized construction for the project at 80% federal cost share and WRDA 2022 further amended the cost share to 90% federal. The project received $273.7 million total in Construction appropriations in FY2022 and FY2023.
Enjoy!
"Why are you worried about the state legislature ending tenure? You were never going to be tenured!" - @ass_deans
All the material below (and the quote at the bottom) came from a UN email. SDGs are the Sustainable Development Goals.
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The UN 2023 Water Conference concluded on 24 March. It confirmed that water truly unites the world as a determined global community came together to make a difference not only for the future of water but for the future of the world.
A key outcome of the Conference, the Water Action Agenda has grown in both size and scope since the Conference opened. Commitments have been shared throughout both official sessions and side events, with several commitments mobilizing millions, and in a few cases billions, of dollars for water action.
The closing session of the Conference featured summaries from the five interactive dialogues which got to the heart not only of what water is, but what it can be: a driver of equality, a solution to the climate crisis, a facilitator of peace, and much, much more.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed his closing remarks to a packed room, thanking everyone for their commitment to #WaterAction. He noted: “The commitments at this Conference will propel humanity towards the water-secure future every person on the planet need.” He emphasized that water is for health, for peace, for sustainable development, and that’s why water needs to be at the centre of the global political agenda.
Addressing the closing Plenary, President of the General Assembly Csaba Kőrösi emphasized some of the gamechangers that can bring ”transformative action…leaving nobody behind” such as integrated water and climate policy, Global water info system, early warnings for all, inclusive transboundary water agreements and more. He commended efforts that highlighted that the water cycle is a common good, an approach which will impact how water is governed. He also emphasized the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement: “Civil society and the private sector are at the heart of this transformation.”
UN-Water chair and Director General of ILO Mr Gilbert F. Houngbo concluded: “Water is and shall remain everyone’s business”. He noted that the Conference demonstrated the importance of cooperation across sectors, stakeholders, and borders. With one example of this being Iraq acceding to the UN Water Convention during the Conference.
As the Closing Plenary, and Conference, concluded, the sentiment was one of a breakthrough response to the global water crisis. Governments, businesses and civil society committed billions of dollars to advance the water agenda, a dealmaker for accelerating sustainable development overall.
he Water Action Agenda, the key outcome of the Conference, captured over 700 commitments by Friday evening. Commitments aimed at driving transformation from a global water crisis to a water-secure world. The agenda represents the global community’s bold resolve to address the water challenges through a more coordinated and results-driven approach and it remains open for the registration of more commitments.
Member States
Multilateral Banks
Private Sector
NGOs
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The Earth Negotiations Bulletin followed the official proceedings of the UN 2023 Water Conference, sharing daily overviews and in-depth coverage along with photos that are free to use. |
WATCH | Press conference: The closing of the UN 2023 Water Conference >
An overview of press releases and news stories during the Conference:
UN University | UN Water Experts: The World is Off-Track to Meet Its Sustainable Water Goal by 2030
UN Global Compact | More than 50 leading global companies unite to make unprecedented collective commitment to SDG 6
UN | Opening: UN calls for game-changing action to stem global water crisis
UN Global Compact | Starbucks, Ecolab, Gap Inc., Reckitt and DuPont Join with U.S. Government to Invest nearly $140 Million in Water Access Fund
FEATURE: Origami Hummingbirds Make a Splash at UN Water Conference
Web story - English, French, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Japanese
Video – English
FEATURE: Running 200 marathons towards a global water solution
Web story - English, French, Russian, Spanish, Hindi
Video - English
Statements made during the plenary sessions are available on the Conference website. The links to the webcast of the plenary sessions and the interactive dialogues are also available on the Conference website.
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"When you see clouds gathering, prepare to catch rainwater."
- Gola People of Liberia
Charles V. Stern, Pervaze A. Sheikh, and Erin H. Ward updated (16 March 2023) this CRS report: 'Central Valley Project - Issues and Legislation' .
Download CRS_Report_CVP_Issues_Legislation_16March2023
I won't go through this in any detail - just post the summary and a few other items. This report gets updated frequently. Click on the graphics to enlarge them. Enjoy!
Summary
The Central Valley Project (CVP), a federal water project owned and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), is one of the world’s largest water supply projects. The CVP covers approximately 400 miles in California, from Redding to Bakersfield, and draws from two large river basins: the Sacramento and the San Joaquin. It is composed of 20 dams and reservoirs and numerous pieces of water storage and conveyance infrastructure. In an average year, the CVP delivers more than 7 million acre-feet of water to support irrigated agriculture, municipalities, and fish and wildlife needs, among other purposes. About 75% of CVP water is used for agricultural irrigation, including 7 of California’s top 10 agricultural counties. The CVP is operated jointly with the State Water Project (SWP), which provides much of its water to municipal users in Southern California.
CVP water is delivered to users that have contracts with Reclamation, which is part of the Department of the Interior. These contractors receive varying levels of priority for water deliveries based on several factors, including hydrology, water rights, prior agreements with Reclamation, and regulatory requirements. The Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers’ confluence with the San Francisco Bay (Bay-Delta or Delta) is a hub for CVP water deliveries; many CVP contractors south of the Delta receive water that is “exported” from north of the Delta.
Development of the CVP resulted in significant changes to the area’s natural hydrology. However, construction of most CVP facilities predated major federal natural resources and environmental protection laws. Much of the current debate related to the CVP revolves around how to deal with changes to the hydrologic system that were not significantly mitigated when the project was constructed. Dry conditions have led to significant curtailments of contracted water supplies in recent years. Reclamation has been unable to provide any water supplies to most CVP agricultural water service contractors in 4 of the past 11 years (including 2021 and 2022) and has cut supplies for some senior water rights holders during this time. Wet conditions in the winter of 2022-2023 have temporarily alleviated some of these trends.
Various state and federal proposals are currently under consideration and have generated controversy for their potential to affect CVP operations and allocations. In late 2018, the State of California finalized revisions to its Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan that would require more flows from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers to reach the Bay-Delta for water quality and fish and wildlife enhancement (i.e., reduced water supplies for other users). Voluntary agreements that might replace some or all of these requirements are being negotiated but have not been finalized. The Trump Administration attempted to increase CVP water supplies for users and proposed changes to long-term operations of the CVP in 2019. Those changes were finalized in a record of decision in 2020 after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a no jeopardy biological opinion after consultation required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA, 16 U.S.C. §§1531-1544). California and some environmental organizations opposed these efforts and filed lawsuits to prevent implementation of the changes. The court issued a preliminary injunction on May 11, 2020, temporarily prohibiting Reclamation from implementing the operational changes. Under the Biden Administration, Reclamation is implementing an interim operations plan for the CVP while the litigation is pending and has requested reinitiation of consultation with FWS and NMFS to assess the effects of proposed changes to CVP operations.
Congress has engaged in CVP issues through oversight and legislation, most recently in the form of provisions enacted under the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act; P.L. 114-322). Among other things, this act authorized changes to CVP operations that were intended to provide increased water supplies for agricultural and municipal contractors under certain circumstances (most of these provisions have since expired). In the same legislation, Congress authorized funding for new water storage projects that are expected to benefit CVP operations. Some of these operational and construction-related provisions have expired. Legislators may conduct oversight on the CVP and may consider legislation that aims to alter CVP water exports compared with current baselines (including extension of previously expired WIIN Act provisions), as well as whether to approve funding for new water storage projects.
New Storage and Conveyance
Reductions in available water deliveries due to hydrological and regulatory factors have caused some stakeholders, legislators, and state and federal government officials to look at other methods of augmenting water supplies. In particular, proposals to build new or augmented CVP and/or SWP water storage projects have been of interest to some policymakers. Additionally, the State of California is pursuing a major water conveyance project, the California WaterFix, with a nexus to CVP operations.New and Augmented Water Storage Projects
In recent years, new and augmented water storage projects have been proposed throughout the Central Valley, as well as in other areas of California. While it is unclear whether any of these projects will be completed and/or incorporated into the CVP itself, their status has ramifications for the water supply questions related to the CVP. In the past, construction recommendations for new Reclamation projects have been subject to congressional approval. Section 4007 of the WIIN Act authorized Reclamation financial support for new or expanded federal and nonfederal water storage projects. It also provided that these projects could be deemed authorized, subject to a finding by the Administration that individual projects met certain criteria and were recommended by name in an enacted appropriations act.94 Table 4 shows recent funding for these projects, including regular appropriations and FY2022 funding that was allocated from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58). Most of the projects recommended by current and prior Administrations under this authority have been approved by Congress in enacted appropriations legislation. The only exception was funding that the Trump Administration proposed for the Shasta Dam and Reservoir Enlargement Project in 2019 and 2020, which was not agreed to by Congress.
Just a bit more...
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"I have little need to remind you that water has become one of our major national concerns." - Ezra Taft Benson, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
- (Opening sentence of the Foreword of the 1955 Yearbook of Agriculture - dedicated entirely to water)
Ben Goldman, a CRS Analyst in Transportation Policy, produced this brief (7 pages) but important report, 'East Palestine, OH, Train Derailment and Hazardous Materials Shipment by Rail: Frequently Asked Questions'.
Download CRS_Report_East_Palestine_OH_Hazmet_FAQ
The picture and video below are not from the CRS report.
Summary
On February 3, 2023, a freight train carrying hazardous materials operated by Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation derailed in the town of East Palestine, OH. The derailment involved a fire and damaged several railcars, but no deaths or injuries were initially reported. Emergency responders intentionally released a quantity of vinyl chloride, a flammable gas, from some of the damaged railcars to prevent them from exploding and then burned the gas to dispose of it. This action required the evacuation of many residents in and around East Palestine due to potential airborne exposure to toxic combustion byproducts. Once cleared to return to their homes, some residents complained of respiratory illnesses and the deaths of wild and domesticated animals.The incident is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. Cleanup efforts are being monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency. The derailment and the response to it have prompted calls for legislative and regulatory action related to the safe transportation of hazardous materials (hazmat) by rail. This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) report focuses on the federal safety standards, voluntary industry guidelines, railroad operating practices that may be considered in understanding how and why this derailment occurred, and how to prevent similar derailments in the future. It also provides a brief summary of past legislative responses to railroad safety issues.
Read on...
Here are a video and photo from USATODAY:
“The only presidents I want to see are dead presidents in my wallet. They’re using East Palestine like China and Russia and the U.S. are using Ukraine. It’s a proxy war.” - Joe Botinovch, East Palestine flower shop owner. (in Politico.
Enjoy!
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