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  • Dry March leads to reduction in annual basin runoff forecast

    The updated 2026 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, continues to be below average. March runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City was 1.7 million acre-feet, 56% of average.

  • Dry outlook persists for Missouri River despite early spring runoff; Navigation support to begin mid-March

    Warm February temperatures triggered early snowmelt and runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, but the overall 2026 runoff forecast remains well below average. February runoff was 1.3 million acre-feet, 113% of average. Despite this above average runoff in the Garrison, Oahe, and Gavins Point reaches, the full-year runoff forecast above Sioux City, Iowa is 20.6 MAF, 80% of average.

  • Federal water managers take precautions by adjusting water levels behind John Day dam as precipitation mounts

    Federal water managers at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will adjust water levels behind John Day Dam (Lake Umatilla), in north-central Oregon, this week to prepare for another round of heavy precipitation in the Columbia River Basin. This will be the third atmospheric river storm event within the last two weeks.

  • Gavins Point Dam releases reduced to winter release rate

    Reduced releases from the Gavins Point Dam to the winter release rate on began Nov. 23 with the navigation flow support season ending on Dec. 1 at St. Louis. “Releases from Gavins Point Dam are being reduced to the 12,000 cubic feet per second winter release rate by mid-December,” said John Remus, Chief of the Missouri River Water Management Division. “We will closely monitor river conditions, and releases will be adjusted to the extent practical to lessen the impacts of river ice formation on stages in the lower river.”  Releases were at 26,000 cfs prior to the reductions.

  • Virtual Missouri River fall public meeting in-lieu of canceled meetings

    In-person public meetings on Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir system operations, which were scheduled for Monday, Oct. 27; Monday, Nov. 3; and Tuesday, Nov. 4 have been canceled. A virtual meeting on Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir system operations is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 30 to present the draft 2025-2026 Annual Operating Plan.

  • Heat wave spikes temps and hydropower demand

    With regional temperatures spiking during this week’s heat wave, the demand for electricity follows. As people turn on fans, air conditioners and other cooling devices, power providers rely on hydropower because dams can bring turbines on quickly, to add immediate supply and provide grid stability.

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