JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JAN. 29, 2018 - Interested in helping Missouri update its Water Resources Plan? Public meetings will be held Feb. 6-8 in Jefferson City and are open to the public. Times, locations and additional information can be found on the Web at https://dnr.mo.gov/mowaterplan/.
Missouri Water Resources Law requires the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to develop, maintain and periodically update a state water plan to ensure Missouri’s water resources needs will be met.
Planning is critical to identify water needs now and for the future. The plan helps the state better prepare for water delivery when faced with additional stresses on supply caused by drought, increasing demand and more. It is imperative Missouri look to the future and prepare for our water needs.
The state will accomplish the plan with the assistance from five technical workgroups established by water plan topic, which include:
Consumptive Needs
Non-Consumptive Needs
Infrastructure Needs
Agricultural Needs
Water Quality
Project managers include the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Kansas City and Little Rock offices. Contractors include CDM Smith and University of Missouri.
The objectives of the technical workgroups are to provide guidance on technical analyses, give feedback to the development of technical products, identify and prioritize water resource issues, and provide recommendations on how to address those issues. This information will be incorporated into the final Missouri Water Resources Plan. The technical workgroups will meet at least quarterly for the next two years and will report findings and recommendations to the Interagency Task Force. Once finalized, the plan will be sent to the State Legislature for consideration.