The health of the Upper Mississippi River Basin is a critical national environmental issue. For more than 100 years, river management as well as nutrients and sediment coming into the river have had an adverse effect on the health of the Upper Basin. Water quality and habitat for birds and wildlife have steadily declined. In addition, the management in the Upper Basin leads to increased problems downstream and in the Gulf of Mexico, including the growing hypoxic zone in the Gulf.

Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) introduced H.R. 3671, the Upper Mississippi River Basin Protection Act, which authorizes $6.25 million each year for a program to monitor the environmental quality of the River Basin under the direction of the Department of Interior through the United States Geological Survey.

On March 19, H.R. 3671 passed by a vote of 289-121 (House roll call vote 137). YES IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. A hearing was held in the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power on companion legislation, S. 2779, introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), but there was no further Senate action.