Congressman Ron Kind

P R E S S R E L E A S E____ 3^rd Congressional District,Wisconsin*1713 Longworth House Office Bldg*

Washington, D.C., 20515* 202.225.5506* 202.225.5739(Fax)

Contact: Press Secretary Darin Schroeder Phone: 202-226-8130

E-Mail: Darin.Schroeder@Mail.House.Gov Web:http://www.house.gov/kind

May 10, 2001

For Immediate Release-----------------------

Kind Introduces Legislation to Reduce Harmful Runoff Into Mississippi

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) introduced bipartisan legislation, The Upper Mississippi River Basin Conservation Act, which establishes a scientific based, non-regulatory approach to reducing runoff into the Upper Mississippi River and its tributaries.

“The Mississippi River is a natural treasure, but it is slowly filling with dirt and silt from soil erosion as well as fertilizer runoff from suburban and rural areas,” said Kind. “The build up of these sediments and nutrients has reduced wetland habitat on the river, cut off vital lifelines for a wide variety of fish and waterfowl, and has forced the Corps of Engineers to spend over $100 million dollars each year to maintain a navigation channel along the main stem of the river.”

Rep. Kind’s legislation develops a coordinated public-private approach to reducing nutrient and sediment losses in the Upper Mississippi River basin. Relying on existing federal, state and local programs, The Upper Mississippi River Basin Conservation Act establishes a water quality monitoring network and an integrated computer-modeling program. These monitoring and modeling efforts will provide the baseline data needed to make scientifically sound and cost-effective conservation decisions.

“While everyone agrees that increased sediments and nutrients in the Mississippi River are a growing problem, there has never been a comprehensive scientific study of where they originate and how they can be reduced,” concluded Kind. “By applying scientific analysis to the problem of sediment and nutrient build-up, and promoting better coordination between government agencies who work on the river, we can improve the quality and beauty of the Mississippi River for future generations.”

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