OMAHA, Neb. -- Today’s three-week forecast for the Missouri River Mainstem System of dams shows that all system reservoirs are below their exclusive flood control pool elevations.
“Due to plains snow melt in the tributary basins that empty into the Fort Randall, Big Bend and Oahe reservoirs, the pool elevations at those projects increased significantly. Storing water in the exclusive flood control pools at projects in the middle of the system limits flexibility for reducing flood risk from upstream or downstream rain events. We are maintaining releases higher than inflows at Oahe, and Fort Randall Dams to gain more flood control storage space in those reservoirs,” said John Remus, chief of the Corps’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division.
Releases from Fort Peck and Garrison will begin to step up as the mountain snowpack begins to melt.
Gavins Point releases are forecast to remain steady at 55,000 cfs to continue evacuating runoff from the spring plains snowmelt stored in the mid-system projects.
“Fluctuations to river stages downstream from Gavins Point are possible due to rain events occurring downstream from Gavins Point,” said Remus.
River stage forecasts are issued by the National Weather Service’s Missouri Basin River Forecast Center and up updated daily at www.weather.gov/mbrfc.
The Three-week forecast for the Missouri River Mainstem System of dams is updated each Wednesday, all year round and more frequently if conditions warrant.
Some of the reports generated for public access by our Water Management application website are experiencing technical issues and may not be available.
“We apologize for any inconvenience this technical issue may cause and we are working to resolve it as quickly as possible,” said Remus.
The monthly forecast for the Missouri River Mainstem System will be issued Tuesday, May 7.
Release no. 19-036