People living along the Missouri River say they might not need the federal supervision. Hartsburg sits on the eastern banks of the Missouri River and is no stranger to floods. The town operates a locally maintained levee to protect it from rising floodwaters.

"They're a very necessary and integral part of being able to farm down here, you can't do without them," Hartsburg resident Terry Hilgedick said.

Recently, Congress authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to have access to all private levees to inventory and maintenance if necessary.

Their reasoning is to help protect property in the event of major floods like the floods of 1993. Currently, the Missouri River is within its banks.

"I had seven foot in my house, I have seven and a half foot ceilings and it was just like that from my ceiling," Hartsburg resident Richard Smallwood. "Local residents have been on this land since before 1993 and don't think the federal help is necessary."

"You've got local people here that are around the levees all the time, seems a lot more simple just to keep it local," Hilgedick said.

Currently, there no money has been appropriated for the local inspections yet and the Hartsburg levee district is in charge of its own flood management.