ABOVE AVERAGE RAINFALL AND FAST-MELTING MOUNTAIN SNOW LED TO ABOVE AVERAGE RUNOFF IN THE UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BASIN IN JUNE.
RUNOFF ABOVE SIOUX CITY WAS 6.7 MILLION ACRE-FEET, WHICH IS 122% OF AVERAGE.
JOHN REMUS, CHIEF OF THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS’ MISSOURI RIVER BASIN WATER MANAGEMENT DIVISION, SAYS “THE ANNUAL FORECAST FOR THE UPPER BASIN HAS BEEN INCREASED DUE TO THE RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT IN JUNE,”
HE SAYS THE MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK COMPLETELY MELTED OUT, APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, FURTHER INCREASING THE JUNE RUNOFF.
THE BASIN WILL NEED ADDITIONAL RAINFALL THOUGH, TO CONTINUE THE TREND OF ABOVE-AVERAGE RUNOFF.”
CURRENT WATER RELEASES FROM GAVINS POINT DAM NEAR YANKTON ARE AT 29,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND.
