The updated 2025 calendar year runoff forecast for the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, continues to be below average. March runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City was 2.3 million acre-feet, 76% of average.
“Runoff into the reservoir system was below average for the month of March and conditions across most of the basin remain dry,” said John Remus, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division. “Mountain snowpack has improved over the last few weeks but is still below average. We are forecasting a below-average runoff year for the basin.”
The 2025 calendar year runoff forecast above Sioux City is 21.9 MAF, 85% of average. The runoff forecast is based...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), or co-lead agencies, are pushing back virtual public scoping meetings they previously scheduled for the week of April 7, 2025. The co-lead agencies will also extend the scoping period for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the Columbia River System Operations.
MISSOURI RIVER MAINSTEM RESERVOIR DATA Pool Elevation (feet above mean sea level) On March 31 Change in March Water in Storage (1,000 acre-feet) On March 31 % of 1967-2024 Average Change in March Fort Peck 2227.6 +1.0 13,487 93 +193 Garrison 1831.4 +1.0 15,945 90 +307 Oahe 1598.7 -0.1 16,122 91 -10 Big Bend 1420.8 +0.3 1,684 99 +30 Fort Randall 1353.8 +3.6 3,313 100 +296 Gavins Point 1206.6 -0.2 340 88 -5 Total 50,891 92 +811 WATER RELEASES AND ENERGY GENERATION FOR MARCH Average Release in 1,000 cfs Releases in 1,000 acre-feet Generation in Million kWh Fort Peck 5.6 342 52 Garrison 17.6 1,084 158 Oahe 20.3 1,249 184 Big Bend 19.9 1,225 67 Fort Randall 15.4 946 101 Gavins Point 17.8 1,093 48 Total 610
Spring public meetings to discuss Missouri River Water Management operations and plans were held April 1 and 3, 2025.
Spring public meetings provide a status of mountain snowpack, a runoff forecast for the year, and how operations during the runoff year will meet the authorized purposes for the Missouri River Mainstem System.
Meetings were held virtually due to travel restrictions. Updates include a discussion from the National Weather Service regarding mountain snowpack, lingering drought and the System's ability to capture runoff and how releases will be made to serve the authorized purposes.
