US Army Corps holding virtual public meetings today on Missouri River Mainstem System operations

The US Army Corps of Engineers will hold its annual fall public meeting on Missouri River Mainstem System operations virtually this year.

The public is invited to participate in one of two meetings today (Nov. 2). One will take place at 1:30pm CT and the other at 6pm CT.

Chief of the Corps’ Missouri River Water Management Division John Remus says the purpose of the meetings is to update the region on current hydrologic conditions and the planned operation of the mainstem reservoir system during the remaining months of the year. He says they also present the draft plans for operating the System next year (2021).

A question and answer session will follow the presentations.

• Questions submitted before the meetings will be answered first.
• Moderators will monitor the webinar “chat” window to present the second round of questions.
• Any final questions will be accepted from callers.

Participants are encouraged to submit questions before the webinars using this ‘submit your questions in advance’ link.

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 Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System at www.dvidshub.net/unit/usace-nwd.

Afternoon Meeting

• 1:30 p.m. CT
• https://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/MRWM/Public-Meetings/Meetings/Article/2372249/fall-public-meeting-afternoon/

Evening Meeting

• 6 p.m. CT
• https://www.nwd.usace.army.mil/MRWM/Public-Meetings/Meetings/Article/2384718/fall-public-meeting-evening/

Information available ahead of these meetings includes:

• Draft Annual Operating Plan
• Draft Meeting slides (weather information will updated the day of the meeting)
• Missouri Basin Overview

The meeting agenda includes updates from the following:

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

Public meetings are held each spring and fall across the Missouri River basin.

The Corps’ fall meetings will provide an update on the 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 presented at the public meetings and finalized at the end of the calendar year.

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.