January 3, 2026

This Week's News:  New database tracks sediment across the Mississippi River Basin, hazardous materials stored in a rural Missouri town, volunteers take up monitoring water quality, the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District recognizes outstanding individuals, Missouri River repairs continue at Cora Island, water system upgrades in a southern Missouri town, alarm about a proposed federal amendment, guidance for modernizing stream crossings, a public waterways rule clarifies public access, successful passage of the Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act, students in Minnesota reel in an alligator gar, staffing loss at USFWS, a bridge implosion on the Mississippi River, walleye movement studied on the Missouri, hundreds of thousands of carp removed from Kansas River, Bangladesh bans catching juvenile species of hilsa fish, and Missouri River Relief seeks donations for trash pick-up during anniversary year

MISSOURI
Ozark Rivers Recognizes Outstanding Individuals
Ozark Rivers Solid Waste District honors outstanding individuals at annual awards banquet
Phelps County Focus

Missouri River Navigation Structure Repairs Continue
Missouri River Navigation Structure Repairs Continue with Cora Island Flow Control Structures After Severe Damage from 2019 Flood
DVIDS

Missouri River Relief Seeks Donations to Remove Trash
Missouri River Relief Seeks Donations to Remove 30 Tons of Trash in Anniversary Sweep
KSHB

Water System Upgrades Improve Reliability
Major Water System Upgrades Improve Reliability for Gainesville, MO. Residents
KY3

Volunteers Take Up Monitoring Water Health
Missouri Volunteers Take Up the Task of Monitoring Water Health as Federal Funding Gets Canceled
KCUR NPR

Dozens Exposed to Hazardous Materials Before EPA Clean Up
‘Nobody Here Knew’: Dozens Were Exposed to Hazardous Material in Missouri Warehouse Before EPA Cleanup
The Beacon

WORLDWIDE
Nationwide Fishing Ban With Severe Penalties
Officials Enforce Nationwide Fishing Ban with Severe Penalities - Here’s What You Need to Know
Yahoo

NATIONAL
States Must Modernize Stream Crossing Standards
States must modernize stream crossing standards to protect communities from flooding 
Headwater Economics

Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act
The Association Applauds Enactment of the Wetlands Conservation and Access Improvement Act of 2025
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Walleye Movement at Lewis & Clark
Walleye Movement at Lewis & Clark
Nebraskaland

New Database Tracks Sediment Across Mississippi River Basin
Fluvial Fingerprints: Major New Database Tracks Sediment Across Mississippi River Basin
USU

Students Reel in Gar-Gantuan Catch
Students Reel in Gar-Gantuan Catch During Mississippi River Field Work
Twin Cities UMN

Public Waterway Rules to Become Less Confusing
The Federal Government is About to Make Public Waterway Rules Way Less Confusing
Outdoor Life

Implosion Takes Down Mississippi River Bridge
Implosion Takes Down a Nearly Century-Old Mississippi River Bridge
News 8 

100,000 Pounds of Invasive Fish Pulled from Kansas River
Biologists Pull 100,000 Pounds of Invasive Fish Species Out Of the Kansas River
Yahoo

Groups Express Alarm about Amendment
Groups express alarm about Mike Lee lands amendment
EENews

USFWS Loses 18% Staff
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Loses 18% of Staff Under Trump
Center for Biological Diversity