Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

2012 spring runoff season begins

A view of Missouri River flooding near Ft. Calhoun.
courtesy Google Images
A view of Missouri River flooding near Ft. Calhoun.

The 2012 spring runoff season is underway along the Missouri River.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials say releases from Gavins Point Dam averaged 22,000 cubic feet per second during February. It’ll stay at that level through the middle of this month, and then increase for the start of the navigation season. Last year’s record runoff season led to devastating flooding along the Missouri River in Nebraska and Iowa.

Work began last fall to repair the damage caused by record flooding. Brett Budd, Chief of the Systems Restoration Team for the Omaha District, says ongoing work includes installation of new flap gates on discharge pipes at a pump station in far northern Omaha.

Three levee breaches near Percival and Hamburg, Iowa, are now repaired. So are two storm water pumping stations in Council Bluffs.

So far, the Omaha District has done 29 projects worth $72 million dollars. Another $145 million dollars worth of infrastructure repair projects are planned.

On the web: www.nwo.usace.army.mil