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  • September runoff near average; Drought conditions continue in Missouri River Basin

    The month of September brought mixed results for precipitation across the Missouri River Basin. Portions of Montana, North and South Dakota, and Nebraska received above average rainfall, while the remainder of the upper basin and lower basin were below average. Overall, September runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa was 1.3 million acre-feet, 109% of the long-term average. The annual runoff forecast for the upper Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, IA is 29.1 MAF, 113% of average and the same as last month’s forecast.

  • Now Available: Draft Missouri River Operating Plan; Possible Fort Peck test flow; Fall public meeting schedule

    Ahead of fall public meetings, the Draft Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System Annual Operating Plan for the 2023-2024 runoff season is now available for public comment. The public comment period on the draft plan will close Nov. 30. 

  • Real-Time Forecasting Model Development Work Plan

    Abstract: The objective of the Lowermost Mississippi River Management Program is to move the nation toward more holistic management of the lower reaches of the Mississippi River through the development and use of a science-based decision-making framework. There has been substantial investment in the last decade to develop multidimensional numerical models to evaluate the Lowermost Mississippi River (LMMR) hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and salinity dynamics. The focus of this work plan is to leverage the existing scientific knowledge and models to improve holistic management of the LMMR. Specifically, this work plan proposes the development of a real-time forecasting (RTF) system for water, sediment, and selected nutrients in the LMMR. The RTF system will help inform and guide the decision-making process for operating flood-control and sediment-diversion structures. This work plan describes the primary components of the RTF system and their interactions. The work plan includes descriptions of the existing tools and numerical models that could be leveraged to develop this system together with a brief inventory of existing real-time data that could be used to validate the RTF system. A description of the tasks that would be required to develop and set up the RTF system is included together with an associated timeline.

  • Gavins Point winter release slightly above minimum rate

    Rainfall in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, was above normal for the month of August, resulting in above average runoff. However, due to drier-than-normal conditions in previous years, the total storage in the Missouri River mainstem reservoir system remains lower than normal. Based on the Sept. 1 system storage, winter releases from Gavins Point Dam will be 13,000 cubic feet per second, per the criteria in the Master Manual. This release rate is slightly above the minimum rate of 12,000 cfs.

  • Missouri River Basin drought conditions persist

    July runoff in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa was 3.3 million acre-feet (MAF), 99% of average. Runoff was near or above average in all reaches except the Fort Peck reach, which was 68% of average. The annual runoff forecast above Sioux City, IA is 28.5 MAF, 111% of average.

  • USACE Fort Worth District awards $48.1M contract for new Wharton levee system

    The U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District announced today the award of a $48.1 million contract to Granite Construction Co., from Watsonville, California, for Phase 1 of a flood risk mitigation levee system to be constructed in Wharton, Texas.

  • Gavins Point releases increased after System storage check

    Above average rainfall and fast-melting snow led to above average runoff in the upper Missouri River Basin in June. Runoff above Sioux City, Iowa was 6.7 million acre-feet, which is 122% of average. The annual runoff forecast above Sioux City, Iowa is 29.2 MAF, 114% of average, and about 2.4 MAF higher than last month’s forecast.

  • Rapid mountain snowmelt; above-average May runoff

    Warm temperatures in the mountainous region of the upper Missouri River Basin has led to a quick melt of the mountain snowpack. The rapid melting combined with precipitation in the western half of the Basin resulted in above-average inflow into the reservoir system. May runoff for the Basin above Sioux City, IA was 4.9 million acre-feet, 144% of average.

  • Analysis of Paxton Siphon Frazil Ice Blockage Event during January 2022

    Abstract: In early January 2022, the Paxton Siphon, owned and operated by the Nebraska Public Power District, filled with frazil ice creating a blockage that resulted in a rapid upstream stage rise for the Sutherland Canal. An event of this type has never happened in the over 80 years of operating the Paxton Siphon. An analysis of the available weather and canal data suggests a rapid air temperature change resulted in the water becoming supercooled, which combined with the moderately low flows in the canal resulted in an anomalous frazil ice formation event. To address this issue for future cold weather events, a water temperature model was developed using the Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System and can be used to determine the spatial extents of the supercooling event using forecasted weather information. In addition, we developed a heat-exchange forecast tool that can be used operationally to screen for potential frazil ice formation periods with a 1-week outlook period.

  • 23-031 Corps to begin refilling Bennington Lake for upcoming recreation season

    WALLA WALLA, Wash. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Walla Walla District will begin diverting water from Mill Creek to Bennington Lake today, May 10, in preparation for the upcoming recreation season.