Missouri River
A beautiful summer day on the southeast end of Lake Sakakawea .
Familiar theme : Drought conditions persisted through July
Omaha , NE -- July runoff in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City , Iowa was 2.8 million acre-feet ( MAF ), 85 percent 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 percent of average .
“ July brought warmer and drier weather to the Missouri River Basin ,” said John Remus , chief of the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers ’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division . “ While every state experienced storms that produced small pockets of above average rainfall , overall precipitation was below normal for the basin .”
The drought monitor for July 30 showed 59 percent of the Basin in abnormally dry ( D0 ) or worse category . Soils are drier than normal in the western portion of the basin and wetter than normal in the eastern portion of the basin . The drought outlook extending through the end of October shows drought conditions persisting or worsening for the western half of the basin .
System storage peaked on July 11 at 57.0 MAF .
“ Reservoir inflows in July declined due to warmer and drier conditions in the upper Missouri River basin . After peaking in mid-July , system storage is expected to continue declining into the Carryover Multiple Use Zone during the remainder of 2024 as we make releases during the summer and fall periods to support the authorized purposes ,” said Remus .
“ The monthly study indicates that the winter release from Gavins Point , which is based on the Sept . 1 System storage check , will likely be near the minimum rate of 12,000 cfs ,” added Remus .
Page 24 , Dakota Country , September 2024 www . dakotacountrymagazine . com