During the US Army Corps of Engineers’ monthly call with media, Jodi Farhat, Chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Division, said flood control remains the corps’ primary consideration.
But Farhat said floods can and will occur regardless of basin conditions, due to ice induced flooding in the winter and thunderstorms in the spring and summer.
She explained the corps’ ability to significantly reduce flood risk diminishes at locations that are further downstream due to the large uncontrolled drainage area and the travel time from Gavins Point Dam.
“Releases from the mainstem dams were adjusted in January to ensure the complete evacuation of the 2015 floodwater from the mainstem reservoir system. That goal was accomplished on January 26th when the volume of water stored in the six mainstem reservoirs reached the base of the annual flood control zone. Thus, the full flood control capacity of the reservoir system is available to reduce flood risk during the 2016 runoff season.”
The National Weather Service will issue its first official spring flood outlook on Thursday, February 18th.
The Corps’ February runoff and reservoir regulation forecast are available online at nwd-mr.usace.army.mil.