Eight senators from states bordering the Missouri River below the dams introduced legislation Thursday that would require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the risk of floods and improve protections on the lower Missouri River.
 
The legislation comes almost a year after a "cyclone bomb" and rapid snow melt caused billions of dollars in flood damage in Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska with levee and other infrastructure repairs still underway. The Corps so far has spent more than $263 million on levee repairs alone.
 
Officials and some residents along the Missouri River blame the historic flooding, and repeat from 2011 flooding, as being caused by the Corps other Missouri River priorities, including protection of endangered species and recovery of wildlife habitat.
 
“After the historic flooding we saw over last spring and in previous years, it is clear that we need to fundamentally change the way the Missouri River is managed. Farmers, families, and local officials I’ve talked to are rightly concerned with the lack of progress that has been made in repairing damaged infrastructure and putting stronger protections in place for the future. We can’t just sit by and wait for the next major flood event. This bill will give the Army Corps of Engineers the ability to develop a comprehensive system plan to design and build critical flood control projects that will do a better job of protecting people and property,” said Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
 
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