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News Releases

  • Lower than normal runoff expected for the Missouri River Basin in 2026

    January runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City was 1.0 million acre-feet, which is 132% of average. Runoff was above average for all of the reaches in the upper Missouri River Basin, even though most of the upper Basin had below-normal precipitation. This was due to above average temperatures causing early snowmelt.

  • Forecast shows Missouri River runoff returning to more normal levels after below-average 2025

    For the 2025 calendar year, Missouri River basin runoff above Sioux City, Iowa totaled 19.9 million acre-feet, 78% of average. For 2026, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is forecasting runoff in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa to be near- average at 24.5 MAF, 96% of average.

  • Federal water managers take precautions by adjusting water levels behind John Day dam as precipitation mounts

    Federal water managers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will adjust water levels behind John Day Dam (Lake Umatilla), in north-central Oregon, this week to prepare for another round of heavy precipitation in the Columbia River Basin. This will be the third atmospheric river storm event within the last two weeks.

  • Gavins Point Dam releases reduced to winter release rate

    Reduced releases from the Gavins Point Dam to the winter release rate on began Nov. 23 with the navigation flow support season ending on Dec. 1 at St. Louis. “Releases from Gavins Point Dam are being reduced to the 12,000 cubic feet per second winter release rate by mid-December,” said John Remus, Chief of the Missouri River Water Management Division. “We will closely monitor river conditions, and releases will be adjusted to the extent practical to lessen the impacts of river ice formation on stages in the lower river.”  Releases were at 26,000 cfs prior to the reductions.

  • Gavins Point Dam releases to be reduced to winter release rate

    Releases from Gavins Point Dam will be reduced in late November as flow support to navigation ends. Releases are currently 25,500 cubic feet per second (cfs). “We will continue to make releases from Gavins Point Dam to provide flow support at a level 4,500 cfs less than full service, through the end of the navigation flow support season, which ends on Dec. 1 at the mouth of the Missouri River,” said John Remus, chief of the USACE, Missouri River Water Management Division.

  • Virtual Missouri River fall public meeting in-lieu of canceled meetings

    In-person public meetings on Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir system operations, which were scheduled for Monday, Oct. 27; Monday, Nov. 3; and Tuesday, Nov. 4 have been canceled. A virtual meeting on Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir system operations is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 30 to present the draft 2025-2026 Annual Operating Plan.

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