The U-S Army Corps of Engineers is ready to move the Missouri River into what it’s calling “drought reserve mode” and it’ll mean much less water flowing downriver. Corps spokeswoman Monique Farmer says water levels will drop by the end of the month. Winter releases from Gavins Point Dam, near Yankton, South Dakota, will be dropped to minimum levels, averaging around 12-thousand cubic feet per second (CFS) starting on December 1st and running through the end of February. Current release levels from the dam have been running more than three times that level, at 38-thousand C-F-S.

Farmer says the Corps’ forecast for next spring has the reservoirs down drastically. They’re expecting to be about 8-million acre feet below the base of the annual flood control and multiple use zone, so the three major reservoirs in the system may be drawn down 8 to 12 feet lower than what would normally be seen at this time of year. It was just last summer that reservoirs and releases hit record high levels during the spring and summer flooding. Releases from Gavins Point hit just over 160-thousand C-F-S. Farmer says they will step down releases gradually to allow downstream water users to adjust.

They’ll cut the releases initially to around 18-thousand C-F-S and hold for a few days. That will give cities and individuals who have their water intakes in the river the chance to see how they may be impacted. After a few days, water levels will be cut further to the projected 12-thousand C-F-S, where it should remain until March. The plan is raising concerns. Leaders in the state of Missouri fear such a drop in water levels on the Missouri River will impact the Mississippi River so much, barge traffic may have to be halted.

(Radio Iowa)

Agribusiness agronomists and farmers who want information on new practices to improve soil and water quality have an opportunity in December to learn from Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach specialists. Soil and water management workshops will be held Friday, Dec. 21st at St. Bernard Parish in Breda, Iowa. A second opportunity will be on Wednesday, Feb. 27th at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, Prairie City, Iowa. Both programs runs from 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Topics covered will include the science assessment of the statewide nutrient reduction program; the new corn suitability rating (CSR2); and approaches to make cover crops work. Featured speakers include Matt Helmers, ISU agricultural engineer; Sarah Carlson, Practical Farmers of Iowa; and Lee Burras, ISU soil science professor.

Certified crop advisors can earn 2.5 soil and water credits. Advance registration for the course $35. Registration at the door is $45. Registration is limited to 30 participants. Register on-line at www.aep.iastate.edu/swm. To register by fax or mail contact your local ISU County Extension office for a brochure.

Info from the Atlantic Animal Shelter w/ Chris Parks and Andrea Farrier.

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w/ Dr. Keith Leonard

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Five Shelby County residents were elected to the County Extension Council following the Nov. 6th general election. They include: Travis Lane, of Shelby; Scott Burchett, of Harlan; Rowly Burton, of Irwin; Julie Klein, of Harlan; and Michele Monson, of Irwin. The new members will replace Lori Peters, from Portsmouth; Dwight Carroll, from Harlan; Sue Nymand, from Elk Horn; and Ron Rosmann, from Harlan.

Carryover council members whose terms expire at the end of 2014 are Laura Freund, Earling; Kay Goshorn, Harlan; Jo Kenkel, Defiance; and Jake Schechinger, Harlan. Council members elected in November will begin their terms in January and the council will meet in early January to elect officers.

The Extension Council is the county governing body for the Cooperative Extension System. Council members hire county staff, manage the county extension budget of approximately $240,000, and help determine programming, said Jo Kenkel, Shelby County extension council chairperson. The county extension office is located at 906 6^th St., Harlan.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad Wednesday, signed a proclamation designating Thursday, November 15th, as Rural Health Day 2012.

Pat Markham, CEO and Emily Krengel, Food Service Director, of Cass County Memorial Hospital, were part of a group of rural health representatives who gathered in the Iowa Governor’s office to sign a National Rural Health proclamation.

National Rural Health Day is an opportunity to honor small towns, farming communities and rural areas, and also to highlight the unique challenges the individuals who live in these areas face. In Iowa, 90 percent of the land mass is considered rural, and approximately half of Iowans live in an area that is considered rural.

Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director, Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks says “Iowa’s rural communities are wonderful places to live and work – they are places where people know each other, listen to and respect each other, and work together to benefit the community. However, rural communities face a lack of healthcare providers, an aging population with a greater number of chronic conditions, and larger percentages of uninsured or underinsured residents.” Meeks says “It’s important that private and public partnerships continue to tackle these issues while meeting the unique needs of these areas.”

About 21 percent of Americans live in rural areas, but only about 10 percent of all physicians and 11 percent of all pharmacists practice in rural areas. The Iowa rural health workforce reflects much of the national trend; however, in Iowa there are 19.5 physicians per 10,000 persons compared to 25.7 per 10,000 in the U.S.

To get more information on National Rural Health Day, visit http://celebratepowerofrural.org