Mississippi River lawmakers and stakeholders have been very vocal in criticizing the Army Corps of Engineers for its water conservation measures along the upper Missouri River.  Those measures will drop the Mississippi River to levels that endanger barge traffic.

Now comes the other side of the argument, from Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who is asking the White House to reject calls for more water releases from reservoirs on the Missouri River.

Schweitzer says sending more water down the Missouri would be a “knee-jerk, illegal reaction” to the problems on the Mississippi.

He wrote in a Wednesday letter to President Barack Obama that such a move would undermine the Army Corps of Engineers as it manages the river for the long-term.

Corps officials started reducing Missouri River releases from South Dakota’s Gavins Point Dam last week, saying the move is needed to protect recreation and hydropower on the river.