Topeka ? Officials from Kansas and several other states who are upset about how the federal government manages the Missouri River will attend a summit on river issues later this month in South Dakota.

South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds will play host to the Sept. 24 meeting at Dakota Dunes.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will not to attend, but she is sending Joe Harkins, director of the Kansas Water Office, and David Pope, chief engineer of the Division of Water Resources.

Several states’ governors are attending, as well as officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Management of the Missouri River has been at the center of disputes and litigation for decades involving the eight Missouri River basin states — Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming, Montana and North and South Dakota.

Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to start releasing water from Kansas reservoirs to help float barges downstream on the Missouri River.

The corps will release water from Milford and Tuttle lakes this month, and from Lake Perry next month. Sebelius is opposed to the corps’ plan and said the state may sue the federal government to try to stop it.

“We’ll be aggressive in keeping Kansas water in Kansas,” Sebelius said.

She said the amount of barge traffic on the Missouri River had dropped significantly in recent years and didn’t warrant taking water to keep the levels high.

Her feelings are shared by many upstream states that rely on impounded waters for the sport fishing industry.

¢ Governor pans tapping reservoirs to raise Missouri (8-30-03)¢ Kansas lake water to float Missouri barges (8-29-03)¢ Missouri River drops to record levels (8-22-03)¢ Corps starts Missouri River reductions (8-12-03)¢ Missouri River flow at heart of debate (8-12-03)¢ Corps of Engineers to lower Missouri River levels in three days (8-6-03)¢ Government, conservation groups at odds on low summer flows on Missouri River (7-3-03)