News Release
| Release Number: | 06-018 |
| Dated: | 10/3/2006 |
| Contact: | Paul T Johnston, 402-697-2552 |
Corps schedules meetings on Missouri River draft Annual Operating Plan
OMAHA – The Army Corps of Engineers today announced six public meetings on its draft 2006-2007 Annual Operating Plan for the Missouri River. The plan provides transparency to the public on the water release schedules that impact river use.
The draft plan proposes two “spring pulses” to satisfy requirements of the Endangered Species Act, provided there is sufficient water in the main stem reservoirs. To conserve water, the pulses would be delayed until 2008 if there were not at least 36.5 million acre feet (MAF) of water stored in the reservoir system on March 1 and 40 MAF on May 1. Current storage is 35.1 MAF. Increased reservoir levels are dependent on rain this fall and snow on the plains and in the mountains this winter.
As in 2006, primary consideration will be given to withdrawing the water needed for a May pulse from Fort Randall reservoir rather than from one of the upper three. This will avoid further declines in those reservoirs which are extraordinarily low due to the ongoing drought.
The draft plan also describes the overall management plan for the dams and reservoirs. It anticipates that there will be only minimum flows for the 2007 navigation season, which could be shortened 29 to 61 days, depending on runoff this winter and spring. A final determination on season length will be made on July 1, 2007.
Releases from Gavins Point Dam may be cycled during May to encourage the least terns and piping plovers to nest high on the sandbars. They will be adjusted in June to meet navigation flows through mid-August when the birds begin annual migration south.
Steady to rising reservoir levels during the spring fish spawn can usually be maintained if there is normal or above normal runoff. However, continued drought conditions may not make that possible at all the upper three reservoirs. If that is the case next spring, the Corps will strive to maintain steady to rising pools in the Fort Peck and Oahe reservoirs during their respective forage fish spawn periods. The ability to provide such conditions depends on the volume, time and distribution of the runoff from melting snow on the plains and in the mountains of Montana and Wyoming.
The draft 2006-07 Annual Operating Plan with a detailed description of the spring pulses and 2007 operations is now available. It is posted on the Northwestern Division website: www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/aop.html and is available in hard copy by writing to: Water Management Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 12565 West Center Road, Omaha, NE 68144. Comments on the draft plan will be taken during a series of public meetings this month and in writing through November 20.
The meetings will open with presentations on this year’s runoff, reservoir storage, and the management of the six dams and reservoirs. These will be followed by descriptions of the regulation for the remainder of 2006 and the year 2007 for flood control, hydropower, navigation, irrigation, recreation, water supply, water quality, fish and wildlife and endangered species for a wide variety of runoff and storage conditions.
The public meeting schedule is:
Oct. 10 Omaha, Neb., 5 p.m. Northwestern Division HQ, 12565 West Center Rd.
Oct. 11 St. Louis, Mo. 11 a.m. Crowne Plaza-St. Louis Airport, 11228 Lone Eagle Dr
Oct. 11 Kansas City, Mo. 7 p.m. Hilton Kansas City Airport, 8801 NW 112th St.
Oct. 12 Fort Peck, Mont. 11 a.m. Interpretative Center, Lower Yellowstone Rd.
Oct. 12 Bismarck, N.D. 7 p.m. Doublewood Inn, 1400 E. Interchange Ave.
Oct. 13 Pierre, S.D. 11 a.m. Kings Inn Hotel, 110 E. Sioux Ave.