Reservoir inflows in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City, Iowa, were well-below average last month (March 2022)– which comes as no surprise to anyone who spends time on Lake Oahe near Pierre and Fort Pierre.
Missouri River Power Production Team Leader for the US Army Corps of Engineers Mike Swenson says the Oahe reservoir is nearly a dozen feet below the flood control zone.
John Remus, chief of the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division, says they have to manage the dams as one system, not as individual dams.
Remus says the Missouri River basin covers a lot of area.
Data from the Corps says March 2022 runoff was 1.5 million acre-feet for the month– or 48% of average.
Scott Simpson, Parks Division Director for South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, says they’ll be working to keep plenty of boat ramps open along Lake Oahe, but it probably won’t be feasible to keep every ramp open. For example, the Chantier Creek boat ramp will remain closed until water levels begin to rise again. He says there are several low-water facilities GFP constructed during the low-water cycle (from 2002-2006) that may be brought back into service.
Simpson says lower water levels also require extra caution due to submerged hazards such as trees and rocks that are just under the surface. He says boaters are urged to use extreme caution when out on the water as underwater hazards are not marked.
Low water level on Oahe also creates access issues with off road vehicles.
GFP Law Enforcement Chief Sam Schelhaas says they and the US Army Corps of Engineers remind outdoor recreationalists that off road and ATV vehicle use along shores and off designated trails is not permitted.
Schelhaas says he knows it’s tempting to see those long stretches of shoreline and go off road exploring because it seems harmless– but it isn’t. He says driving on shorelines damages them and wildlife habitat, can disturb threatened and endangered species, and may disturb or destroy archeological resources. If you want to go explore, GFP asks that you to do it on foot.
Anglers and boaters can visit, the Public Fishing Access Map to find boat ramp status.
Click on the image below to watch the US Army Corps’ annual public meeting in Fort Pierre April 12, 2022.
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