The HazlewoodPatch, a local newspaper in Hazlewood, Mo., has an Aug. 16 article with the headline "In Tough Economy, Midwest Businesses Say Jobs Depend on Clean Water."

The article begins:

"As the largest watershed in the United States, the Mississippi River Basin is something of a workaholic.

"The Mississippi River basin drains all or part of 31 states, irrigates the country’s bread basket, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists, cools several power plants, and supplies drinking water to 15 million people. It also creates jobs.

WASHINGTON (EPA) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has begun to award its competitive grants under President Barack Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which is targeting the most significant environmental problems in the region. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson traveled to Toledo, Ohio, and Green Bay, Wisc, Sept. 7 to highlight several local projects that received funding in the first round of grant awards.