JEFFERSON CITY, MO, NOV. 20, 2018 - Public meetings to develop the Missouri Water Resources Plan will be held Nov. 28 and 29 in Jefferson City. The Water Plan Technical Workgroups will meet Nov. 28, and the Interagency Task Force will meet Nov. 29. Both meetings begin at 9 a.m. at the Lewis and Clark State Office Building, 1101 Riverside Drive, and are open to the public. Additional information may be found online 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 needs will continue to be met.
Planning is critical to the future of Missouri’s water resources. The Missouri Water Resources Plan helps the state be better prepared and more resilient when faced with stresses on supply caused by drought and increasing demand. It is imperative Missouri understand and prepare for our future water needs.
The department will complete the plan with the assistance of five technical workgroups organized by water plan topic:
Consumptive Needs
Non-Consumptive Needs
Infrastructure Needs
Agricultural Needs
Water Quality
The technical workgroups provide guidance on technical analyses, give feedback about the development of technical products, identify and prioritize water resources issues and provide recommendations on how to address those issues. The efforts of the technical workgroups are integral to the development of the plan, and their input will be reflected in the final Missouri Water Resources Plan. The technical workgroups will meet at least quarterly until the completion of the plan and periodically report their findings and recommendations to the Interagency Task Force. Once finalized, the plan will be sent to the State Legislature for consideration.
The Missouri Water Resources Plan is managed by the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Kansas City and Little Rock districts. Contractors include CDM Smith and the University of Missouri.