DROUGHT CONDITIONS THAT ARE PERSISTING IN THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN ABOVE SIOUX CITY MEANS THAT WINTER RELEASES FROM GAVINS POINT DAM AT YANKTON WILL BE AT THE MINIMUM OF 12,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND.
IN ANTICIPATION OF THE LOW WINTER RELEASES, A LETTER WAS SENT ON SEPTEMBER. 1ST TO ALL WATER USERS BELOW GAVINS POINT DAM MAKING THEM AWARE OF THE PLANNED RELEASES AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO ASSESS THE RISK TO THEIR FACILITIES.
JOHN REMUS, CHIEF OF THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS’ MISSOURI RIVER BASIN WATER MANAGEMENT DIVISION SAYS RESERVOIR INFLOWS IN AUGUST WERE MUCH LOWER THAN AVERAGE AND THEY EXPECT BELOW-AVERAGE INFLOWS INTO THE SYSTEM THROUGH THE REST OF 2021,
SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL EVENTS OCCURRED IN AUGUST.AND IN RESPONSE, THE CORPS REDUCED GAVINS POINT RELEASES 4,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND AS TRIBUTARY FLOWS DOWNSTREAM OF THE SYSTEM INCREASED.
DESPITE THE LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL, DROUGHT CONDITIONS EXPANDED ACROSS THE BASIN DUE TO THE EXCEPTIONALLY DRY SOILS.
