The first meeting of Memphis chapter of the American Meteorological Society for the 1999-2000 academic year took place on 14 September 1999 at the National Weather Service Forecast Office in East Memphis. Chairperson Mark Isaminger opened the meeting by thanking all present for their attendance and introducing the officers for this year, including Mike Wroten, Vice-President, and Erik Proseus, Secretary / Treasurer. Dues were also collected during this time.

The featured speaker for the evening was Mr. Berland Boyd, River Forecaster for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) - Memphis District. Mr. Boyd outlined four main areas of interest that the COE is responsible for, including river navigation, flood control, environmental issues, and, occasionally, rescue efforts. He also stated that the COE is more interested in commitment to the customer than at any time in the past. Responsibilities of the Corps include, but are not limited to: dredging channels in the Mississippi River during low water periods, as we are experiencing now; building and maintaining revetments and dikes to direct and contain the river and it's channels; digging wells and pumping water into areas that are in need; and taking measures to control flooding when it occurs. Mr. Boyd's chief concern is with the forecast of river stages on the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois, downstream to near Greenville, MS. He is the only river forecaster employed by the Memphis District and compares his job to "counting raindrops". He notes that a small amount of rain upstream can make a large difference in the river stage in Memphis and that the drainage basin for the Mississippi River covers 41% of the continental U.S. (almost 1.25 million square miles). The Memphis District of the Corps is responsible for some 1700 miles of levees and also owns a large amount of land in NE Arkansas and SE Missouri that can be flooded to ease water pressure on levees and prevent more catastrophic flooding further downstream. In concluding, Mr. Boyd offered the services of the Corps of Engineers for a banquet on the river vessel "Mississippi", possibly for the last meeting of the year in May.

Respectfully submitted,
Erik A. Proseus
Secretary / Treasurer

Minutes Approved,
Mark Isaminger
Chairperson