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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.

  • Fort Peck releases to change slightly

    Releases from Fort Peck dam will be increased from 9,000 cubic feet per second to as much as 11,000 cfs to address conditions immediately downstream of the dam. Releases will begin increasing on Aug. 14, or once planned maintenance projects at the Fort Peck power house are completed.

  • 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 Fort Peck Dam to decline during maintenance work

    Releases from Fort Peck Dam will be reduced from 11,000 cubic feet per second to 8,500 cfs on July 28 and then increase slightly to 9,000 cfs on July 29. A Power Plant maintenance project originally scheduled for June was rescheduled for late July. The project will require outages on Units 1, 2, and 3 to support testing on Unit 2.

  • Army Corps of Engineers reports an increase in adult drowning at its lake and river projects this summer

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today that more than 30 people lost their lives to drowning in June at lake and river projects the agency manages. The June statistics represent a 47 percent increase in drownings over the same time period last year. USACE also reported that nearly all the drowning victims were adult males between the ages of 18 and 85 and were not wearing a life jacket at the time of the drowning.

  • ​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.

  • Missouri River water management public meeting presentations available online

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Water Management Division has released four videos of presentations that would normally be given at public meetings held throughout the Missouri River Basin. In-person public meetings on Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System operations originally scheduled for April were canceled to further reduce potential exposure to COVID-19. Instead, the agency will host virtual question and answer sessions in late April. A web page with the videos, a form for submitting questions, and call in dates and times is located here: https://go.usa.gov/xvBpc.