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OMAHA
BLUES
SOCIETY NEWS |
SEEN
on the RIVER 
- 2001 - |
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OmahaRiverFront.com
- RIVER NEWS
U.S.A.C.E. Northwest Division -
Reservoir Control Center Monthly Report - 2002 Spring flow projections
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USACE
NWD release date: 02/06/02
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OMAHA – Warm
weather and a disappointing mountain snowpack are setting the stage
for lower reservoir levels and reduced Missouri River flows again
this year.
“January’s warm temperatures pushed the runoff above Sioux
City, Iowa, to 856,000 acre feet, 116 percent of normal.
Unfortunately, the mountain snowpack is 82 percent of normal in the
reach above Fort Peck and 78 percent in the reach from Fort Peck to
Garrison,” said Larry Cieslik, Chief of the Missouri River Basin
Water Management Division in Omaha. Normally 60 percent of the peak
snow in the mountains is accumulated by early February.
“We are forecasting that with normal precipitation the rest of
the year, runoff will be 20.3 million acre feet (MAF) because of
the shortage of snow in the mountains,” said Cieslik. Normal
runoff is 25.2 MAF.
Based on this forecast, flow support for the beginning of
navigation on the Missouri will be 3,500 cubic feet per second (cfs)
below full service rates. The actual service level will be set on
March 15. Given the forecast, operation under the current water
control plan would result in a further reduction in July to 5,500
cfs below full service. The season opens on April 1 at the mouth of
the river near St. Louis, and is expected to be the normal eight
months.
System storage ended January at 48.7 MAF, down less than 200,000
acre-feet during the month. Last January it was 49.5 MAF. The
amount of water in the reservoirs is nearly 7 MAF lower than
normal.
Releases from Gavins Point averaged 13,400 cubic feet per second (cfs)
in January. They ranged from 15,000 cfs to 12,500 cfs based upon
weather and river conditions. “We are attempting to set releases
as low as possible this winter because of the low reservoir levels
and diminished expected runoff. We will continue to monitor river
stages to assure adequate water supply along the river,” said
Cieslik. Releases are currently set at 13,000 cfs.
Lewis and Clark Lake will remain at its current elevation of 1208
feet msl during the month and then be lowered to 1206 feet msl by
the end of March.
Fort Randall releases averaged 10,900 cfs in January. They will
range from 10,000 cfs to 13,000 cfs during February, enough to
maintain the desired elevation of Lewis and Clark Lake. Lake
Francis Case ended January at elevation 1346.9 feet msl. It will
continue to refill in February ending the month near 1350 feet msl.
It will end March at elevation 1355 feet msl.
Lake Oahe ended the month at elevation 1598.6 feet msl. The lake
will remain near its current elevation in February, ending the
month six feet below normal. The lake is one foot higher than last
year at this time.
Garrison releases averaged a record low 13,100 cfs during January.
Normal is 24,300 cfs. Lake Sakakawea ended January at 1828.3 feet
msl. It will drop less than one foot in February, ending the month
nearly 7 feet below normal. The lake is near the same elevation it
was last year at this time.
Fort Peck releases were less than half the normal rate, averaging a
record low 5,000 cfs during January. The lake ended the month at
elevation 2218.8 feet msl. It will remain near its current
elevation in February, ending the month 13 feet below normal. Last
year at this time the lake was five feet higher.
The six main stem powerplants generated a record low 426 million
kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in January, 55 percent of
normal. The previous low was 554 million kWh. Given the forecasted
inflow this year, energy production should be 7.2 billion kWh
compared to a normal of 10.2 billion kWh.
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reservoir and river information is available from the OmahaRiverFront.com
HOME page U.S.A.C.E. links provided or
from the Reservoir Control Center by calling the
recorded voice/fax message at (402) 697-2678. It is also
available on the water management section of the Northwestern
Division homepage at www.nwd.usace.army.mil |
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