The Governors and Congressional delegations from South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska are asking the US Army Corps of Engineers to maintain slightly higher than normal releases from the upper Missouri River basin to the lower basin this winter.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says letting a little more water flow out from Gavins Point Dam at Yankton this winter will free up storage space in upper reservoirs– such as Lake Oahe– to hold possible spring flooding.
She says with soils across much of the state already saturated, she’s concerned about potential flooding next spring.
Noem says Sen. Mike Rounds has regular contact with the Corps.
The Oahe Reservoir is currently at elevation 1608.2 feet. Water is flowing in at a rate of 29,000 cubic feet per second and being released at a rate of 23,000 cfs.
Find current Missouri River conditions at https://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/MRWM/Current-Conditions/.
