09-05-2025
Dry condition results in below half average of runoff into Missouri River
OMAHA, Neb. (KCAU) — Officials said the April runoff into the Missouri River basin above Sioux City resulted in the yearly runoff forecast being lowered.
According to a release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the runoff for the month of April was 1.4 million acre-feet (MAF), only 48% of average. John Remus, chief of the Corps' Missouri River Basin Water Management Division, said that the runoff was below average in all reaches of the reservoir system.
'Drought or abnormally dry conditions are currently present in 75% of the basin, and conditions have worsened in the Fort Peck reach and parts of the Garrison reach in the last month. As a result, the runoff forecast was lowered by 1.9 MAF from last month,' Remus said.
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The yearly runoff forecast was lowered from 85% of average in early April to 78% of average at 20 MAF. Runoff is based on the current soil conditions, snowpack, and long-term precipitation and temperature outlooks.
Mountain snowpack peaked earlier than normal and was also below normal. At the Fort Peck reach, there was 92% of average snowpack on April 5 with 69% remaining on May 4. The Garrison reach peaked at 95% of average on April 5 with 84% remaining.
There is currently 50.4 MAF of water stored in the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System, 5.7 MAF below the top of the carryover multiple use zone.
In mid-May, releases at Fort Peck will be increased to 10,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) and 24,000 cfs at Garrison. Those releases are expected to remain throughout the summer.
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At Gavins Point Dam, releases are 25,000 cfs with 28,000 cfs forecast to be released. Releases will continue to provide navigation flow support at 4,000 cfs below full service for the first half of the season, the Corps said. The season started April 1 at the mouth of the river near St. Louis, Missouri, and the second half will start on July 1.
There was 727 million kWh of electricity generated in March from the six mainstem power plants when there is normally 695 million kWh. Electricity generation for 2025 is expected to be 8.6 billion kWh compared to the long-term average of 9.4 billion kWh.
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