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  • Below average runoff continues in the upper Missouri River basin

    September precipitation was well-below normal in the Missouri River Basin.  As a result, September runoff in the upper Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa was 69% of average.  Since January 1, precipitation in the upper Basin is well-below normal.  The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is forecasting that below-normal precipitation will continue in October.  The 2020 calendar year runoff forecast for the upper Basin, updated on October 1, is 30.2 million acre-feet (MAF), 117% of average. Average annual runoff for the upper Basin is 25.8 MAF.

  • August inflows much below average in northern Missouri River Basin

    August precipitation was well-below normal in the Missouri River Basin, particularly in the western and far northern portions, which received less than 25% of normal precipitation. The lack of precipitation and dry soil conditions resulted in 74% of average August runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa (upper Basin). The 2020 calendar year forecast for the upper Basin, updated on September 1, is 30.6 million acre-feet (MAF), 119% of average. Average annual runoff for the upper Basin is 25.8 MAF. Runoff in the upper Basin during the remainder of 2020 is forecast to be below average.

  • Gavins Point releases to remain steady through August

    Below-normal precipitation in Montana and Wyoming during July resulted in slightly below-average July runoff in the upper Basin. The 2020 calendar year upper basin runoff forecast, updated on August 3, is 30.9 million acre-feet (MAF), 120% of average. Average annual runoff for the upper basin is 25.8 MAF.

  • ​Releases from Gavins Point Dam to decrease

    “The upper basin runoff forecast has been reduced by about 1 MAF due to the recent dry conditions as well as the National Weather Service’s climate outlook, which is indicating that the remainder of the summer will be warmer and drier than normal. However, the 2020 calendar year runoff forecast remains above average, mostly due to the very wet soil conditions during the early months of the year. Most of the mountain snowmelt runoff has entered the reservoir system. Remaining summer runoff will depend on rainfall events,” said John Remus, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division. “As a result of the reduced runoff forecast, we will reduce Gavins Point Dam releases to 30,000 cfs on July 7,” Remus added.

  • Upper Missouri River basin forecast remains above average

    Water releases from Gavins Point Dam will remain at 33,000 cubic feet per second in June, which is about average. May runoff in the upper Basin was about 130% of average; however, the summer climate outlook indicates a return to warmer and drier conditions in the upper Basin.

  • Missouri River basin’s below-normal precipitation leads to lower runoff forecast; reduced Gavins Point releases

    Gavins Point releases will be reduced to 33,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) on Friday, May 8 following a reduction in forecast 2020 upper basin runoff. Since January, precipitation in the upper basin has been well below normal, which has led to a reduction in the runoff forecast. Some areas of the Dakotas received less than half of their normal precipitation during the first four months of 2020.

  • Forecast runoff for upper Missouri River basin lower after warm spring

    Gavins Point releases are forecast to remain near 35,000 cubic feet per second through the month of April. The upper Missouri River basin March runoff fell in line with the March 1 forecast. Runoff above Sioux City, Iowa was 5.5 million acre feet, which is almost two times average. The above average runoff was primarily due to plains snow melting over heavily saturated soils. “The warmer-than-normal temperatures melted most of the plains snow in the eastern and central Dakotas. Along with the steady, but near average, rate of snow accumulation in the mountains, the projected upper Missouri River basin runoff for 2020 has been slightly reduced,” said John Remus, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (Corps) Missouri River Basin Water Management Division.

  • Corps reports above normal May runoff in the Missouri River Basin; drought conditions improve in upper basin

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Basin Water Management Division reports May runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, was 3.7 million acre feet (MAF), 110 percent of normal. The 2015 runoff forecast has increased to 22.5 MAF, 89 percent of normal. Average annual runoff is 25.2 MAF.

  • Corps decreases runoff forecast due to lower than normal mountain snowpack

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Basin Water Management Division is decreasing the annual runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, to 20.3 million acre feet (MAF), which is 80 percent of normal and 4.9 MAF less than average. The decreased forecast is due to below normal mountain snowpack and the lack of plains snow in the basin.

  • February runoff higher, but 2015 Missouri River forecast still slightly below normal

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Basin Water Management Division reports runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa was 2 million acre feet (MAF) during February, 186 percent of normal. The increased runoff was caused by above normal temperatures in the upper Missouri Basin that limited river ice build-up, and melted both plains and low elevation mountain snows. However, the 2015 runoff forecast in the same reach is 24.6 MAF, 97 percent of normal, and the March runoff forecast is about 1 MAF less than in February.