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  • 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.
  • Hydropower capabilities set to surge on three rivers in Pittsburgh District

    Recently, Rye Development announced they would begin constructing four hydropower plants at lock and dam facilities on the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny rivers. Once construction begins, it can take 24-36 months to complete a facility.
  • ORBIT stakeholders navigate Kentucky Lock Addition Project

    GRAND RIVERS, Ky. (May 19, 2023) – The Ohio River Basin Inspection Tour visited western Kentucky this week where stakeholders of the basin highlighted healthy and productive ecosystems, reliable flood risk management, and resilience of the Ohio River waterway system for inland navigation. They also navigated to the Kentucky Lock Addition Project for a construction update and better understanding of how the larger lock will help unlock congested commercial barge traffic.
  • Corps to begin deep drawdowns at Green Peter, Lookout Point

    Beginning in June, the Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin to gradually drawdown Lookout Point and Green Peter reservoirs to historically low levels. The goal of these reservoir “drawdowns,” which are part of an injunction ordered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, is to increase juvenile spring Chinook and steelhead survival and passage through the reservoirs and past the dams.
  • Fort Peck releases to decline during maintenance

    Releases from Fort Peck Dam will be reduced from 9,000 cubic feet per second to 6,000 cfs on May 22. Releases will be increased back to 9,000 cfs on June 2. If the maintenance work is completed early, releases will return to 9,000 cfs as soon as possible.
  • Spring precipitation improves Missouri River Basin runoff forecast

    Late season plains snowpack accumulation and subsequent melting led to increased runoff throughout the upper Missouri River Basin during April. For the month, runoff was 4.7 million acre-feet, 159% of average, for the basin above Sioux City, IA. The annual runoff forecast for the upper Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, IA is 26.9 MAF, 105% of average, and 0.5 MAF higher than last month’s forecast. However, soil moisture remains slightly below normal in eastern Montana and the western Dakotas, and well below normal in Nebraska. Even with the plains snowmelt, soils dried out in late April over a large portion of the upper basin.
  • Missouri River Spring Virtual Public Meeting - Make Up - April 20

    A virtual make up meeting has been scheduled for April 20 at 1 p.m. after two in-person meetings were canceled due to weather on April 4. The virtual meeting can be accessed at the QR code and the url in the graphic.
  • From water to watts: A history of Ice Harbor Lock and Dam

    Ice Harbor Lock and Dam boasts some of the most cutting-edge hydropower technology in the world. Two advanced technology turbines currently sit in the powerhouse, with a third one on the way. These new turbines were designed to improve fish passage and generate electricity more efficiently.
  • Upper basin runoff forecast improves with spring precipitation

    The latest 2023 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa is showing improvement. The 2023 calendar year runoff forecast above Sioux City is 26.4 million acre-feet (MAF), 103% of average. The runoff forecast is based on current soil moisture conditions, plains snowpack, mountain snowpack, and long-term precipitation and temperature outlooks. March runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City was 1.7 MAF, 57% of average.    
  • Nashville District Engineers build and install new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system

    HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (April 3, 2023)— The Nashville District Corps of Engineers installed the first part of a new Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system at J. Percy Priest hydropower plant located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it is remotely operated from Old Hickory hydropower plant in Hendersonville, Tennessee.