Missouri River Basin Association

Missouri River Basin Association
Name	Missouri River Basin Association
Founded	1970s
Type	Nonprofit advocacy group
Headquarters	Kansas City, Missouri
Region served	Missouri River Basin

Missouri River Basin Association is a regional nonprofit coalition focused on water resources, flood risk management, navigation, irrigation, ecosystem restoration, and economic development within the Missouri River watershed. The Association engages federal agencies, state agencies, tribal governments, agricultural organizations, navigation interests, conservation groups, and municipal utilities to coordinate policy, funding, and technical programs affecting the basin. It operates at the intersection of stakeholders such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and state departments of natural resources.

History

The organization emerged in the context of 20th-century water infrastructure debates following projects by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Pick–Sloan Missouri Basin Program. Early membership included representatives from states like Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Iowa, and Montana, alongside tribal nations such as the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. The Association’s formation paralleled national legislative developments including the Flood Control Act of 1944 and later amendments to the Water Resources Development Act series. Throughout the late 20th century, it worked on issues related to navigation on the Missouri River near ports like Kansas City, Missouri and St. Louis, Missouri, floodplain management affecting communities like Bismarck, North Dakota and Omaha, Nebraska, and ecological concerns tied to species such as the pallid sturgeon and the Whooping Crane. Major events influencing its agenda included the 1993 Great Flood of 1993 and subsequent Congressional hearings involving committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Mission and Objectives

The Association’s mission frames priorities consistent with statutory frameworks overseen by entities like the U.S. Department of the Interior and goals promoted by regional compacts such as the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee. Objectives emphasize coordinated action among partners including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Wildlife Federation, navigation stakeholders represented by the American Waterways Operators, and municipal bodies like the Kansas City Water Department. Core aims include sustaining navigation channels to support barge traffic linking to the Port of Kansas City, reducing flood risk for communities along the Missouri River, advancing habitat restoration for federally listed species under the Endangered Species Act, and promoting agricultural water management relevant to associations like the National Corn Growers Association.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises elected officials from basin states, tribal leaders, representatives of irrigation districts such as the Fort Peck Irrigation District, municipal utility managers, and delegates from conservation districts like the Natural Resources Conservation Service partners. Governance typically follows a board structure with officers elected by delegates, using bylaws modeled on nonprofit governance standards applied in organizations such as the National Governors Association and regional compacts like the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin. Committees address navigation, flood control, environmental restoration, and tribal relations; they coordinate with federal advisory bodies including the Missouri River Recovery Program and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on species recovery planning.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs include technical workshops with the United States Geological Survey on hydrology and sediment transport, coordination of grant applications to programs administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and pilot projects in partnership with university research centers such as the University of Missouri and Iowa State University. Initiatives have targeted ecosystem restoration in reaches influenced by reservoirs like Lake Sakakawea and Fort Peck Lake, sediment management studies related to the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System, and navigation improvements benefiting terminals at locations such as St. Joseph, Missouri. The Association also convenes forums that include stakeholders from the Tribal Nations network, representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and engineers from regional planning commissions.

Partnerships and Advocacy

The Association maintains formal and informal partnerships with federal agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, state entities such as the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, tribal governments like the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, and national NGOs exemplified by the The Nature Conservancy. Advocacy efforts target Congressional delegations from basin states and key committees such as the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, seeking appropriations and policy language in instruments like the Water Resources Development Act. The Association engages in collaborative processes with multistate accords such as the Western Governors' Association on drought resilience and with river basin commissions to harmonize water allocation, floodplain mapping, and habitat restoration priorities.

Funding and Financial Structure

Funding sources include dues from member governments and organizations, grants from federal programs administered by agencies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior, and project-specific contracts with institutions such as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Budgetary oversight is performed by a finance committee and audited consistent with standards used by nonprofits registered under laws of states including Missouri and Kansas. Fiscal advocacy regularly addresses appropriations for Corps projects, Bureau of Reclamation programs, and conservation funding channels through bills introduced by legislators such as members of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations.

Category:Organizations based in Missouri Category:Missouri River