The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began reducing Gavins Point releases to the winter release rate on Nov. 30. The releases will be stepped down at a rate of 3,000 cubic feet per second per day until they reach 27,000 cfs where they are expected to remain through December.
Releases will be reduced to 25,000 cfs in January and remain near that rate for the remainder of the winter. Gavins Point Dam winter releases normally range between 12,000 and 17,000 cfs. Higher-than-average winter releases from the Missouri River Mainstem System projects, including Gavins Point, continue emptying water from the 2019 runoff season still in storage.