OMAHA, Neb. (Iowa Media Wire) — Gavins Point Dam will be lowering its releases due to excessive rainfall this week.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, due to rainfall in eastern South Dakota, northeastern Nebraska, and northwestern Iowa, there has been increased runoff causing them to need to lower the dam’s releases.
“In response to the rainfall, which has exceeded 600% of normal over the past 24 hours, we will lower releases today at Fort Randall and Gavins Point dams,” said John Remus, chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Division.
The lower releases are beginning Friday and will continue through Sunday. The pool at Gains Point Dam is predicted to increase by about 2 feet. As of Friday midnight, the storage elevation was 1207.1 feet. The exclusive flood control zone elevation for the Gavins Point Dam is from 1,208 feet msl – 1,210 feet msl.
The Army Corps says that the National Weather Service is forecasting that the runoff from the James, Vermillion, and Big Sioux River basins will cause the Missouri River in the Sioux City area to rise above the flood stage.
“While the decreased releases are expected to bring lower downstream river stages, they cannot offset all the flooding in the Sioux City area,” said Remus.
Releases were at 29,000 cubic feet per second Thursday morning and have since been reduced to 27,000 cfs as of Friday at noon. Missouri River flow below Gavins Point is forecast to be 16,000 cfs on Sunday
The NOAA’s National Water Prediction Service offers up-to-date forecasts on river levels around the country. This includes predictions for the Missouri River, Big Sioux River, Vermillion River, Rock River, and more.
Iowa Media Wire 9 is monitoring the flood and is updating our website with information here. For the latest updates for your forecast, keep your eyes on Iowa Media Wire 9 News. Our meteorologists will continue to provide you with updates on air and online.