News Releases

  • Missouri River Basin spring public meetings announced

    Public Meetings are held each spring and fall across the Missouri River basin. Upper Basin spring public meetings will be held the week of March 25 in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana.
  • Despite early runoff, upper basin runoff forecast below average; Gavins Point releases to increase for navigation flow support

    A warm February led to increased snowmelt and runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa. February runoff was 1.8 million acre-feet, 161% of average with above average runoff in every reach except Sioux City, which was near average. However, the updated 2024 calendar year runoff forecast for the basin continues to be below average.   
  • Litigation stay agreement increasing Columbia River spill, begins

    After an agreement to stay the Columbia River Basin litigation for up to 10 years, federal water managers will begin spilling more water over basin dams this spring than in past years. In the agreement, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has committed to spill more water over spillways instead of through turbines during its annual “spring spill” operations at dams on the lower Snake and Columbia rivers as well as expanding spill in the fall and early spring.
  • Average Garrison Dam releases declining to address downstream ice

    **Updated to note continued decline in releases toward 16,000 cfs ahead of the forecast schedule.** Fluctuations in temperatures in the Bismarck area have resulted in ice formation on the Missouri River and an ice jam just south of Bismarck. To reduce the threat of flooding, releases from Garrison Dam will be decreased today to an average of 22,000 cfs and tomorrow to 19,000 cfs. Releases may be adjusted as needed over the next several days based on the most up-to-date information.
  • Below average runoff forecast for the upper Missouri River Basin in 2024

    **Last paragraph to note Forecast generation for 2024 is 8.6 billion kWh. It had been incorrectly stated as 2023.** The updated 2024 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, continues to be below average. January runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City was 0.4 million acre-feet, 56% of average. Runoff was well-below-average due to much-below-normal temperatures over the whole Missouri River Basin and below-normal precipitation over most of the upper basin.
  • Dry conditions expected to persist for the Missouri River Basin

    For the 2023 calendar year, Missouri River Basin runoff above Sioux City, Iowa totaled 30.4 million acre-feet (MAF), 118% of average. Despite the above average runoff last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is forecasting below-average runoff into the mainstem reservoir system this year. For 2024, runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa is forecast to be 20.1 MAF, 78% of average.