River plan puts too much at stake for a large area

To the editor:

I was encouraged to see the reaction of the Cape Girardeau community in Scott Moyers' Jan. 28 story, "River plan evokes flood of concerns for local businesses," concerning the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to reduce Missouri River water flows. Changes to flows on the Missouri River would have devastating impacts on commercial, recreational and farming interests downstream on the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi River is the conduit for more than 300 million tons of our nation's cargo, supporting more than 400,000 jobs. Southeast Missouri and our Midwestern states rely on river transport as their primary means of commerce for grain, coal, chemicals, aggregates and other products. Reducing flows would destroy river reliability, thereby eliminating our ability to maintain interstate commerce and move our products to world ports. The residents of Cape Girardeau accurately fear the increased risks to heavy flooding or severe drought that reduce flows would create.

The corps has failed to provide the credible evidence needed to suggest that these changes would have the intended benefits to endangered wildlife and habitat.

CHRIS BRESCIA

President

Midwest Area River Coalition

St. Louis