Ricketts Discusses 2019 Floods, Water Management with Army Corps of Engineers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, discussed the Army Corps of Engineers' need to prioritize river management practices that protect lives and support industries that depend on the river for commerce.

"When I was Governor in 2019, Nebraska and the Midwest experienced a devastating flood that affected many of our rivers and the Missouri River in particular," said Ricketts. "Four people lost their lives. Farmers lost $400 million in corn and soybeans. Ranchers lost $400 million in cattle. Federal authorities estimate the damage to Nebraska alone cost $2.6 billion. I worked closely with the Corps to push for action."

"At that time, the relationship with the Corps was rocky," said Ricketts. "Too often, Nebraskans' concerns were met with only explanations of why something couldn't be done… At times, I saw the Corps as more of an obstacle than a partner, and one that failed to put people first in its decision-making. Today is a new opportunity though, with Secretary Telle and Lieutenant General Graham leading the change."

Ricketts also discussed the Corps' delays in realigning their mission priorities. He criticized a 2004 amendment to the Corps' flood control water management practices that raised environmental compliance to the same level of importance as the protection of human life and property.

"The $3 million dollar 3-year Planning Assistance Study has now taken more than 5 years and has cost more than $10 million," said Ricketts. "This is a similar refrain to what we've heard from other people: projects taking longer and costing more. Still, it hasn't changed the way the Corps conducts business. The study has yet to be finalized but it's not clear there's going to be any concrete, actionable steps in this plan for improvement."

"The roots of the problem go back to 2004, when an amendment to the 1979 Manual reversed the Corps' historical flood control water management practices," said Ricketts. "That shift fundamentally scrambled the Corps' priorities for basin management. The amendment made environmental compliance equally as important as the protection of human life and property through flood mitigation. The Corps must refocus its management of the river on the agencies' core values which is water management for the benefit of those who rely on it for commerce. And protecting people."

Click here to watch the video.

The Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing was entitled Oversight of the US Army Corps of Engineers.