,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #efe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #ad1 #bjac   
,mr4 ,durbin introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,environment and   
,public ,works  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide  
for the safe and reliable navigation of 
the ,mississippi ,river1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,mississippi ,river 
,navigation ,sustainment ,act4  #b4     
,findings ,congress finds that--  7#a7  
the ,mississippi ,river is the largest1 
most famous river in the ,united ,states
 and a vital natural resource2  7#b7 the
 ,mississippi ,river ,basin is the third
 largest watershed in the world1        
covering more than #a1jjj1jjj square    
miles and approximately #dj percent of  
the continental ,united ,states2  7#c7  
the rivers1 tributaries1 and reservoirs 
that make up the ,mississippi ,river    
,basin operate naturally as a system and
 any attempt to operate projects within 

the ,mississippi ,river ,basin by       
mankind should take this fact into      
consideration2  7#d7 the ,mississippi   
,river is the backbone of the inland    
waterway system of the ,united ,states  
and a crucial artery for the movement of
 goods2  7#e7 each year millions of tons
 of commodities1 including grain1 coal1 
petroleum1 and chemicals1 representing  
billions of dollars are transported on  
the ,mississippi ,river by barge2  7#f7 
the ,mississippi ,river is home to some 
of the busiest commercial ports in the  
,united ,states1 including the ,port of 
,new ,orleans and the ,port of ,st4     
,louis2  7#g7 safe and reliable         
navigation of the ,mississippi ,river is
 vital to the national economy2  7#h7   
extreme weather events pose challenges  
to navigation and life along the        
,mississippi ,river and are likely to   
become more severe and more frequent in 
the coming years1 as evidenced by the   
devastating floods along the            
,mississippi ,river in #bjaa and the    

near historic low water levels seen on  
the same stretch of the ,mississippi    
,river in the winter of #bjab-bjac2     
7#i7 the ,american ,waterways ,operators
 and the ,waterways ,council1           
,incorporated have estimated that a     
disruption of navigation on the         
,mississippi ,river due to low water    
levels between ,december #bjab and      
,january #bjac would have negatively    
impacted #bj1jjj jobs and #g1jjj1jjj1jjj
 in cargo2  7#aj7 the ,regulating ,works
 ,program of the ,st4 ,louis ,district  
of the ,corps of ,engineers is critical 
to maintaining navigation on the middle 
,mississippi ,river during extreme      
weather events and should receive       
continued ,federal financial assistance 
and support2 and  7#aa7 the ,federal    
,government1 commercial users1 and      
others have a shared responsibility to  
take steps to maintain the critical flow
 of goods on the ,mississippi ,river    
during extreme weather events4  #c4     
,definitions  7a7 ,extreme weather ,the 

term extreme weather means--  7#a7      
severe flooding and drought conditions  
that lead to above or below average     
water levels2 or  7#b7 other severe     
weather events that threaten personal   
safety1 property1 and navigation on the 
inland waterways of the ,united ,states4
  7b7 ,greater ,mississippi ,river      
,basin ,the term greater ,mississippi   
,river ,basin means the area covered by 
hydrologic units #e1 #f1 #g1 #h1 #aj1   
and #aa1 as identified by the ,united   
,states ,geological ,survey as of the   
date of enactment of this ,act4  7c7    
,lower ,mississippi ,river ,the term    
lower ,mississippi ,river means the     
portion of the ,mississippi ,river that 
begins at the confluence of the ,ohio   
,river and flows to the ,gulf of        
,mexico4  7d7 ,middle ,mississippi      
,river ,the term middle ,mississippi    
,river means the portion of the         
,mississippi ,river that begins at the  
confluence of the ,missouri ,river and  
flows to the lower ,mississippi ,river4 

7e7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary     
means the ,secretary of the ,army1      
acting through the ,chief of ,engineers4
  #d4 ,greater ,mississippi ,river      
,basin ,extreme ,weather ,management    
,study  7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary 
shall carry out a study of the          
,mississippi ,river ,basin--  7#a7 to   
improve the coordinated and             
comprehensive management of water       
resource projects in the greater        
,mississippi ,river ,basin relating to  
extreme weather conditions2 and  7#b7 to
 evaluate the feasibility of any        
modifications to those water resource   
projects and develop new water resource 
projects to improve the reliability of  
navigation and more effectively reduce  
flood risk4  7b7 ,contents ,the study   
shall--  7#a7 identify any ,federal     
actions necessary to prevent and        
mitigate the impacts of extreme weather1
 including changes to authorized channel
 dimensions1 operational procedures of  
locks and dams1 and reservoir management

 within the ,mississippi ,river ,basin2 
7#b7 evaluate the effect on navigation  
and flood risk management to the        
,mississippi ,river of all upstream     
rivers and tributaries1 especially the  
confluence of the ,illinois ,river1     
,missouri ,river1 and ,ohio ,river2     
7#c7 identify and make recommendations  
to remedy challenges to the ,corps of   
,engineers presented by extreme weather1
 including river access1 in carrying out
 its mission to maintain safe1 reliable 
navigation2 and  7#d7 identify and      
locate natural or other potential       
impediments to maintaining navigation on
 the middle and lower ,mississippi      
,river during periods of low water1     
including existing industrial pipeline  
crossings4  7c7 ,consultation and use of
 existing data ,in carrying out the     
study1 the ,secretary shall--  7#a7     
consult with appropriate committees of  
,congress1 ,federal1 ,state1 tribal1 and
 local agencies1 environmental          
interests1 river navigation industry    

representatives1 other shipping and     
business interests1 organized labor1 and
 nongovernmental organizations2  7#b7 to
 the maximum extent practicable1 use    
data in existence on the date of        
enactment of this ,act2 and  7#c7       
incorporate lessons learned and best    
practices developed as a result of past 
extreme weather events1 including major 
floods and the successful effort to     
maintain navigation during the near     
historic low water levels on the        
,mississippi ,river during the winter of
 #bjab-bjac4  7d7 ,cost-,sharing ,the   
,federal share of the cost of carrying  
out the study under this section shall  
be #ajj percent4  7e7 ,report ,not later
 than #c years after the date of        
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall submit to ,congress a report on   
the study carried out under this        
section4  #e4 ,mississippi ,river       
forecasting improvements  7a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary1 in consultation
 with the ,secretary of the department  

in which the ,coast ,guard is operating1
 the ,director of the ,united ,states   
,geological ,survey1 the ,administrator 
of the ,national ,oceanic and           
,atmospheric ,administration1 and the   
,director of the ,national ,weather     
,service1 as applicable1 shall improve  
forecasting on the ,mississippi ,river  
by--  7#a7 updating forecasting         
technology deployed on the ,mississippi 
,river and its tributaries through--    
7,a7 the construction of additional     
automated river gages2  7,b7 the        
rehabilitation of existing automated and
 manual river gages2 and  7,c7 the      
replacement of manual river gages with  
automated gages1 as the ,secretary      
determines to be necessary2  7#b7       
constructing additional sedimentation   
ranges on the ,mississippi ,river and   
its tributaries2 and  7#c7 deploying    
additional automatic identification     
system base stations at river gage      
sites4  7b7 ,prioritization ,in carrying
 out this section1 the ,secretary shall 

prioritize the sections of the          
,mississippi ,river on which additional 
and more reliable information would have
 the greatest impact on maintaining     
navigation on the ,mississippi ,river4  
7c7 ,report ,not later than #a year     
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to    
,congress a report on the activities    
carried out by the ,secretary under this
 section4  #f4 ,corps of ,engineers     
flexibility in maintaining navigation   
7a7 ,in general ,if the ,secretary      
determines it to be critical to         
maintaining safe and reliable           
navigation1 the ,secretary--  7#a7 in   
consultation with the department in     
which the ,coast ,guard is operating1   
may construct ingress and egress paths  
to docks1 loading facilities1 fleeting  
areas1 and other critical locations     
outside of the authorized navigation    
channel on the ,mississippi ,river2 and 
7#b7 operate and maintain1 through      
dredging and construction of river      

training structures1 ingress and egress 
paths to loading docks and fleeting     
areas outside of the authorized         
navigation channel on the ,mississippi  
,river4  7b7 ,mitigation ,the ,secretary
 may mitigate through dredging any      
incidental impacts to loading or        
fleeting areas outside of the authorized
 navigation channel on the ,mississippi 
,river that result from operation and   
maintenance of the authorized channel4  
#g4 ,middle ,mississippi ,river         
environmental pilot program  7a7 ,in    
general ,in accordance with the project 
for navigation1 ,mississippi ,river     
between the ,ohio and ,missouri ,rivers 
7,regulating ,works71 ,missouri and     
,illinois1 authorized by the ,act of    
,june #be1 #aiaj 7#cf ,stat4 #fca1      
chapter #chb7 7commonly known as the    
,river and ,harbor ,act of #aiaj71 the  
,act of ,january #a1 #aibg 7#dd ,stat4  
#ajaj1 chapter #dg7 7commonly known as  
the ,river and ,harbor ,act of #aibg71  
and the ,act of ,july #c1 #aicj 7#df    

,stat4 #iah1 chapter #hdg71 the         
,secretary shall carry out for a period 
of not less than #aj years1 a pilot     
program to restore and protect fish and 
wildlife habitat in the middle          
,mississippi ,river4  7b7 ,authorized   
activities  7#a7 ,in general ,as part of
 the pilot program carried out under    
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
conduct any activities that are         
necessary to improve navigation through 
the project while restoring and         
protecting fish and wildlife habitat in 
the middle ,mississippi ,river4  7#b7   
,inclusions ,activities authorized under
 paragraph 7#a7 shall include--  7,a7   
the modification of navigation training 
structures2  7,b7 the modification and  
creation of side channels2  7,c7 the    
modification and creation of islands2   
7,d7 any studies and analyses necessary 
to develop adaptive management          
principles2 and  7,e7 the acquisition   
from willing sellers of any land        
associated with a riparian corridor     

needed to carry out the goals of the    
pilot program4  7c7 ,cost-,sharing      
requirement ,the cost-sharing           
requirements under the provisions of law
 described in subsection 7a7 for the    
project described in that subsection    
shall apply to any activities carried   
out under this section4  #h4            
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated to    
carry out this ,act such sums as are    
necessary4