Governors from states along the Missouri River met in Nebraska to discuss how to manage the river and help prevent a repeat of this summer's flooding. Several of the governors say flood control should be the highest priority of the Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the river. North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple (dal-RIM-pull) is one of the officials supporting a plan to keep upstream reservoirs lower. They hope that would make flooding less likely when there are heavy rains or snow melts. But Dalrymple admits the governors have no authority over the Army Corps.
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer lashed back against the idea that flood control should dictate how upstream reservoirs are managed. He told the governors that low water levels would lead to empty reservoirs in Montana when a drought hits. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback also took part in the meeting, along with governors of Missouri, South Dakota and Nebraska.