The National Academy of Sciences released a report by the National Research Council on September 28, 2010 about the restoration of the Missouri River and its potential impact on Gulf of Mexico hypoxia. The report, titled Missouri River Planning: Recognizing and Incorporating Sediment Management, acknowledges U-M Graham Family Professor of Sustainability Don Scavia, Director of the Graham Institute and Special Counsel to the U-M President for Sustainability, who served on the Committee on Missouri River Recovery and Associated Sediment Management Issues and briefed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the issue.
According to the National Academies, the report indicates that improved procedures for gathering and evaluating data on Missouri River sediment are needed to better inform decisions and manage the river's ecosystem, including protecting endangered species and developing water quality standards. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' projects to restore river habitats are not significantly changing the size of the oxygen-depleted "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.
Please click here for a related news release, the report in brief, and a full copy of the report.