Missouri River Basin Water Management

The updated 2023 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, continues to be below average. The 2023 calendar year runoff forecast above Sioux City is 21.1 MAF, 82% of average. The runoff forecast is based on current soil moisture conditions, plains snowpack, mountain snowpack, and long-term precipitation and temperature outlooks.

For the 2022 calendar year, Missouri River basin runoff above Sioux City, Iowa totaled 19.3 million acre-feet, 75% of average. This was the 30th lowest annual runoff for the Missouri River Basin in 125 years of record-keeping. The ongoing drought shows little relief in sight and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicts runoff into the mainstem reservoir system will remain below normal. For 2023,...

The September update shows drought conditions in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, continued throughout August. Per the Master Manual and the September 1 System storage check, winter releases from Gavins Point Dam will be 12,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), as part of the overall water conservation measures. August runoff was 0.9 MAF, 62% of average above Sioux City, and 0.6 MAF or...

This extended water management call includes an update on the Missouri River mainstem reservoir system operations as well as from the Omaha District Drought coordinator. While the Missouri River basin has seen improved runoff for two consecutive months, it is not enough to overcome the long-term drought persisting in much of the basin. July runoff in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa...

Water management calls include an update from the NOAA and the NWS's Missouri Basin River Forecast Center, as well as an update on Missouri River mainstem reservoir system operations. Despite improved runoff in June, conservation measures will continue for the second half of the navigation flow support season based on the July 1 Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System storage. June runoff in the...

Water management calls include an update from the NOAA and the NWS's Missouri Basin River Forecast Center, as well as an update on Missouri River mainstem reservoir system operations. Runoff continues to be below average in the upper Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa. The updated 2022 runoff forecast is 18.3 MAF, 71% of average and 0.5 MAF higher than last month’s annual runoff forecast....

Water management calls include an update from the NOAA and the NWS's Missouri Basin River Forecast Center, as well as an update on Missouri River mainstem reservoir system operations. Dry conditions in April resulted in well-below average runoff in the upper Missouri River Basin. April runoff was 1.5 million acre-feet, which is 51% of average. The updated 2022 upper Basin runoff forecast is 17.8 M...

The updated 2022 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, continues to be below average. Runoff in February was less than predicted, and lower-than-average runoff is expected to continue in the coming months. Snow accumulation in the plains and the mountains continues to be below average, and the soil moisture remains very low compared to normal. The 2022...

The USACE Missouri River Water Management Division held its monthly update call on Thursday, Feb. 3 to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system. January’s runoff was slightly above average but 2022's runoff is expected to remain below average with plains and mountain snowpack lagging behind seasonal averages, and soil moisture much drier-than-normal.

The USACE Missouri River Water Management Division held its first monthly update call of 2022 on Thursday, Jan. 6 to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system. The 2021 calendar year runoff summation for the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa was 15.2 million acre-feet, 59% of average and the 10th lowest annual runoff for the in 123 years of...

The USACE Missouri River Water Management Division held its monthly update call on Thursday, Aug. 5 to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system. The July 8 recording had technical issues. Below-average precipitation and dry soil conditions persist in the upper Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa. The updated 2021 upper Basin runoff forecast i...

The USACE Missouri River Water Management Division held its monthly update call on Thursday, June 3 to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system. Below-average precipitation and dry soil conditions persist in the upper Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa. The updated 2021 upper Basin runoff forecast is 17.9 million acre-feet, 69% of average. I...

The USACE Missouri River Water Management Division held its monthly update call on Thursday, May 6 to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system. Very dry conditions in April resulted in very low runoff in the upper Missouri River Basin. The upper Basin runoff was 44% of average, which was the 9th driest April in 123 years of record.

In lieu of in-person, spring public meetings, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Water Management Division held virtual publcic meetings on April 6 to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system. The runoff forecast remains below average for 2021.

The US Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Water Management Division held its March monthly update call on Thursday, March 4, for Congressional representatives, Tribal, and state and local government officials, to include emergency managers, local levee sponsors and the media to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system. The runoff forecast remains...

The US Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Water Management Division held its February monthly update call on Thursday, Feb. 4, for Congressional representatives, Tribal, and state and local government officials, to include emergency managers, local levee sponsors and the media to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system. The runoff forecast is cu...

The US Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Water Management Division held its first monthly update call on Thursday, Jan. 7, for Congressional representatives, Tribal, and state and local government officials, to include emergency managers, local levee sponsors and the media to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system. The system has evacuated all...

The US Army Corps of Engineers Missouri River Water Management Division hosted an update call on Thursday, Oct. 22, for Congressional representatives, Tribal, and state and local government officials, to include emergency managers, local levee sponsors and the media to discuss current conditions, and the projected operation of the mainstem reservoir system as part of the Draft Annual Operating Pla...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held its final scheduled Missouri River Mainstem System water management update for the 2020 runoff season. The current forecast indicates runoff will be between and upper quartile or upper decile year. Average runoff is about 25 million acre feet. The current forecast is 32.3 MAF.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues preparing the Missouri River Mainstem System for the 2020 runoff. Since January, precipitation in the upper basin has been well below normal, which has led to a reduction in the runoff forecast. Some areas of the Dakotas received less than half of their normal precipitation during the first four months of 2020. Gavins Point releases will be reduced to 33,...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues preparing the Missouri River Mainstem System for the 2020 runoff. Gavins Point releases are forecast to remain at 35,000 cfs. Climate and weather outlooks from the National Weather Service discuss temperatures, chances for precipitation flooding risks over the next 90 days. Reminder to please continue monitoring flood forecasts as lower basin flood risk s...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues preparing the Missouri River Mainstem System for the 2020 runoff. Gavins Point releases were decreased from 38,000 cfs to 35,000 cfs this week. Climate and weather outlooks from the National Weather Service discuss temperatures, chances for precipitation flooding risks over the next 90 days. Kansas City and Omaha District staff provide an update on system...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues preparing the Missouri River Mainstem System for the 2020 runoff. Gavins Point releases were increased to 35,000 cfs this week. Climate and weather outlooks from the National Weather Service discuss temperatures, chances for precipitation flooding risks over the next 90 days. Kansas City and Omaha District staff provide an update on system levee repairs.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues preparing the Missouri River Mainstem System for the 2020 runoff. Gavins Point releases will be increased from 27,000 cubic feet per second to 30,000 cfs this week. Climate and weather outlooks from the National Weather Service discuss temperatures, chances for precipitation flooding risks over the next 90 days. Kansas City and Omaha District staff provid...

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is committed to providing frequent communications with stakeholders in the basin. The corps aims to keep the basin informed about reservoir operations, current and forecast weather conditions and reservoir release plans. Congressional delegation members and/or representatives, Tribes, state governments, county and local officials and the media participate on each m...