News Releases

3 May 2024

Missouri River Basin runoff forecast improves but remains below average; Fort Peck Flow Test underway

As warmer weather moves into the Missouri River Basin, spring precipitation brought some much-needed moisture throughout the basin. For the month of April, runoff was 2.1 million acre-feet, 71% of average, for the basin above Sioux City, Iowa. The annual runoff forecast for the upper Missouri River Basin above Sioux City is 19.2 MAF, 75% of average, and 1.7 MAF higher than last month’s forecast.

8 Apr 2024

Upper basin runoff forecast improves, remains below average; Fort Peck test flows to begin in late April

The latest 2024 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa

15 Mar 2024

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.

7 Mar 2024

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.   

6 Feb 2024

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.

5 Jan 2024

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.