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  • Oahe and Big Bend Dams supporting temporary power needs

    Beginning today, releases from Oahe and Big Bend Dams in South Dakota will be increased from a daily average of about 15,000 cfs to about 36,000 cfs, downstream conditions permitting. These releases are aimed at providing additional power generation during a winter storm moving across the country over the weekend. "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division is working with the Western Area Power Administration much like last February," said John Remus, Chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Division. These actions will not effects the overall system storage, and will not change the System releases from Gavins Point Dam. We do not expect these release changes to remain in effect for more than 24 hours.
  • Corps approves temporary modifications to lake water management plans

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Due to ongoing challenging conditions with wet soils and higher than normal river levels across the Missouri River Basin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District is canceling plans to increase water levels in reservoirs for the spring as stated in the annual water level management plans.    This temporary modification will better position the Kansas City District's reservoirs to receive spring runoff, and manage for locally heavy rainfall following record lake levels across the district last year. Nine of 18 district reservoirs reached record pools in 2019. Flood control operations at Kansas City District Reservoirs and Bureau of Reclamation lakes prevented $131 million in damages in Kansas and $2.27 billion in damages in Missouri during the 2019 flood event. Life safety and flood control are primary factors in reservoir operations throughout the Missouri River Basin.
  • 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.
  • Corps invites public to Missouri River operations meetings

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Basin Water Management Division will hold five public meetings in early April to update stakeholders on current hydrologic conditions and the planned operation of the Mainstem Reservoir System.
  • 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.