By AP/KWMU
Pierre, SD – Governors of states along the Missouri River are gathering Wednesday to discuss what their states need from the river.
Also attending the meeting in South Dakota are officials of the Corps of Engineers, which manages the Missouri. Attorney General Jay Nixon will represent Missouri.
South Dakota Governor Michael Rounds will host the session. Rounds says states along the river should be able to manage it to meet everyone's critical needs.
The meeting is at Dakota Dunes, in extreme southeastern South Dakota. Gov. Rounds says he hopes agreement can found on some issues, saying experts could then work out solutions in other areas, so the states can reach a final agreement late this year.
Upstream states need water in the spring to support the hatching of fish eggs in their reservoirs. But Missouri and other
downstream states need water later in the year to support barge traffic and other uses.