News Release
| Release Number: | 06-007 |
| Dated: | 4/4/2006 |
| Contact: | Paul T Johnston, 402-697-2552 |
Omaha – The Army Corps of Engineers will be conducting six public meetings this month to discuss and answer questions on the 2006 Annual Operating Plan for the Missouri River.
The meetings will provide updates to the AOP published earlier this year. This updated information takes into account continued drought conditions in most of the basin. The mountain snowpack is 103 percent of normal above Fort Peck and 92 percent in the reach between Fort Peck and Garrison dams. However, total runoff for the year is forecast at 19.5 million acre feet (MAF), only 77 percent of normal.
A storage check will be taken on May 1 to determine if there is enough water in the reservoirs to conduct a May rise to benefit spawning of the endangered pallid sturgeon. If storage is less than the limit of 36.5 MAF, there will not be a pulse. The current storage is 37 MAF.
The plan anticipates that there will be only minimum flows for the 2006 navigation season. Again this year, these navigation target flows will not be supported in April in reaches where there is no traffic. The season length is anticipated to be shortened 31 to 61 days, depending on runoff this spring and early summer. A final determination on season length will be made on July 1.
Steady to rising levels in the upper three reservoirs during the annual forage fish spawn are likely with normal or above normal runoff this spring. However, this may not be possible at all three reservoirs under low runoff conditions. If rising pools cannot be provided in all three, releases from Garrison Dam will be adjusted to provide a steady to rising level in that reservoir during April and May. The ability to provide such conditions depends on the volume, timing and distribution of the runoff from melting snow in the mountains of Montana and Wyoming.
The public meetings will be held:
Apr 10 – Omaha, Neb., at 5 p.m. in the Northwestern Division offices, 12565 West Center Road
Apr 11 – St. Louis, Mo., at 1 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Airport, 11228 Lone Eagle Drive
Apr 11 – Jefferson City, Mo., at 7 p.m. at the Ramada Inn, 1510 Jefferson St.
Apr 12 – Williston, N.D., at 1 p.m. at the El Rancho Motor Hotel, 1623 Second Ave West
Apr 12 – Pierre, S.D., at 7 p.m. at the Governor’s Inn, 700 W. Sioux Ave
Apr 13 – St. Joseph, Mo., at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 102 South Third Street
These meetings are held each spring to review the plan for regulating the dams and reservoirs based on current runoff and storage conditions. Meetings to describe the draft AOP and take comments were held last October in Glasgow, Bismarck, Pierre, Omaha, Nebraska City, Kansas City, Jefferson City and St. Louis. The meetings will open with presentations on this year’s runoff and reservoir storage and descriptions of the planned regulation for flood damage reduction, hydropower, navigation, irrigation, recreation, water supply, water quality, fish and wildlife and endangered species for a wide variety of runoff and storage conditions.
Members of the public will be invited to ask questions, comment, and discuss the plan. The AOP is available at the “Reports and Publications” link on our website at:
www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc or by calling (402) 697-2675.