US Army Corps holding virtual spring Missouri River operations meetings today

The US Army Corps of Engineers is holding its annual spring public meeting on Missouri River Mainstem System operations today (April 6, 2021).

Deputy director of Public Affairs for the Corps’ Northwestern Division Eileen Williamson says the public is invited to participate in one of two virtual meetings being held at 1pm CT and 6pm CT.

For the past few years, the Corps has been talking about saturated soil and record runoff in the Upper Missouri River Basin, but Williamson says that’s not the case this year– so far.

Williamson says the spring management plan is subject to change if a large weather event occurs.

She says the Corps provides updated information about Missouri River management operations year round.

A question and answer session will follow the presentations.

Participants may submit questions in advance.

1pm CT meeting link:

https://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/MRWM/Public-Meetings/Meetings/Article/2532048/missouri-river-spring-public-meeting-afternoon/

6pm CT meeting link:

https://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/MRWM/Public-Meetings/Meetings/Article/2532074/missouri-river-spring-public-meeting-evening/

Elected officials or Tribal leaders who wish to have their participation recognized should RSVP to cenwd-pa@usace.army.mil in advance of the meetings and specify which meeting they will attend.

The meeting agenda includes updates from the following:

• Mr. John Remus, Chief of the Missouri River Water Management Division
• Mr. Kevin Low. Missouri River Basin Forecast Center
• Mr. Kevin Grode Missouri River Water Management Division
• Mr. Mike Swenson Missouri River Water Management Division

The meetings will be recorded. The webinar portion of both meetings is identical. The question and answer sessions will be combined into a single recording. The recording will be placed on the US Army Corps of Engineers YouTube Channel and the on the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System at www.dvidshub.net/unit/usace-nwd.

Spring public meetings provide a status of mountain snowpack, a runoff forecast for the year, and how operations during the runoff year will meet the authorized purposes for the Missouri River Mainstem System.

Fall public meetings provide an update on current year’s runoff and reservoir operations as well as planned operations for the next year’s runoff season. The Annual Operating Plan for the next year’s runoff season is released for public comment in September, presented at the public meetings and finalized at the end of the calendar year.