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  • September runoff below average; October public meetings

    September runoff in the upper Missouri River Basin was well-below average, continuing the trend of below-average runoff in 2024. “Although Montana precipitation was wetter-than-normal in September, much of the basin was very dry and warm, causing the September runoff in all reaches above Gavins Point to be well-below average,” said John Remus, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division.

  • Army Corps algal bloom study keeps human,animal recreators safe

    Every summer, visitors flock to the cool shores of Rufus Woods Lake, near Chief Joseph Dam, Washington, but within the floating algal mats that appear seasonally throughout the lake, lies a hidden danger.

  • A trip through geological time: Wilson Lake’s unique topography makes it a must-see destination

    Standing over 20 feet in the air, the red, striped sandstone formations tower over the surrounding landscape, casting long shadows into the water they sit next to. Where can these majestic rock formations be found? It’s not Utah or New Mexico, but Kansas. That’s right – Kansas. Known for its agriculture (cows outnumber people, after all) and its flat prairies, it might be surprising to learn there are areas of the state with large geological formations like those found in Utah, New Mexico and other areas of the American Southwest. Wilson Lake, located in central Kansas, is home to some of the most unique topography in the state.

  • Gavins Point winter releases will be minimum rate

    Abnormally dry or drought conditions are currently present across 73% of the Basin, with drought conditions likely to persist or worsen through November. August runoff was 1.2 million acre-feet (MAF), 86% of average above Sioux City. The updated 2024 calendar year forecast for the upper Basin is 23.8 (MAF), 92% of average. Average annual runoff for the upper Basin is 25.7 MAF.

  • Drought conditions persist in Missouri River Basin through July

    July runoff in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa was 2.8 million acre-feet (MAF), 85% of average with below-average runoff in the upper three reaches and above-average runoff in the lower three reaches. The annual runoff forecast above Sioux City, Iowa is 23.9 MAF, 93% of average.

  • A Broadscale Assessment of Sentinel-2 Imagery and the Google Earth Engine for the Nationwide Mapping of Chlorophyll a

    Abstract: Harmful algal blooms degrade water quality and can adversely impact human and wildlife health. Monitoring these at scale is difficult due to the lack of coincident data. Additionally, traditional field collection methods are labor- and cost-prohibitive, resulting in disparate data collection in capable of capturing the physical and biological variations within waterbodies or regions. This research attempts to alleviate this by leveraging large, public, water quality databases and open-access Google Earth Engine-derived Sentinel-2 imagery to evaluate the practical usability of four common chlorophyll a algorithms as a proxy for detecting and mapping algal blooms nationwide. Chlorophyll a data were aggregated from spatially diverse sites across the continental US between 2019 and 2022. The 2BDA and the NDCI algorithms were the most viable for broadscale mapping of chlorophyll a, which performed moderately well, encompassing highly diverse spatial, temporal, and physical conditions. The most compatible field data acquisition method was the chlorophyll a, water, trichromatic method, uncorrected. Resulting data indicate the feasibility of utilizing band ratio algorithms for broadscale detection and mapping of chlorophyll a as a proxy for HABs, which is valuable when coincident data are unavailable or limited.

  • Swim Beach Closed at Blue Marsh Lake

    Swimming at the Dry Brooks Day Use Area of Blue Marsh Lake is currently restricted due to high bacteria levels. Water sample results obtained from testing on Thursday, July 18th indicated high levels of e-coli bacteria.  The swim beach will remain closed until bacteria levels return to a safe level for public use. This restriction applies only to the designated swim area.  Picnicking, boating, and other activities across the lake are not currently restricted.

  • Swimming Area Reopened at Blue Marsh Lake

    The swimming area at Blue Marsh Lake’s Dry Brooks Day Use Area has been reopened for public use. Water quality test results now indicate that E. coli bacteria levels have returned to a level that meets state standards for swim beaches. The public is reminded that swimming at Blue Marsh Lake is at one’s own risk, and lifeguards are not on duty. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wants you to stay safe.  Don’t become a statistic – and always be prepared for the unexpected!

  • Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index for Louisville Streams (QHEILS)

    Purpose: Urban stream restoration typically involves multiple objectives addressing different aspects of ecosystem integrity, such as habitat provision, geomorphic condition, watershed connectivity, water quality, and land-use change. Multiple stream assessment tools and models have been developed and applied to inform restoration prioritization, planning, and design. Here, we present the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index for Louisville Streams (QHEILS, pronounced “quails”), which was designed as an interdisciplinary assessment method for urban streams in the Louisville, Kentucky, metropolitan region. The model adapts a regional habitat assessment procedure, the Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI), by incorporating additional processes related to geomorphic change and watershed connectivity. The QHEILS was developed in the context of the Beargrass Creek Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study, and it provides a rapid procedure for assessing multiobjective benefits associated with proposed restoration actions. This technical note summarizes the model and provides example applications within the Beargrass Creek watershed.

  • Swim Beach Closed at Blue Marsh Lake

    Swimming at the Dry Brooks Day Use Area of Blue Marsh Lake is currently restricted due to high bacteria levels. Water sample results obtained from testing over the weekend indicated high levels of e-coli bacteria.  The swim beach will remain closed until bacteria levels return to a safe level for public use. This restriction applies to designated swim area.  Picnicking, boating, and other activities are not currently restricted. Visitors that choose to enter the water for activities in other areas of the lake are reminded that the water is not tested, and that swimming at Blue Marsh Lake is at one’s own risk. Updates will be provided as conditions change.