31 Jul 2020

Public invited to comment on planned autumn releases from Rathbun Lake

In 2016 in response to stakeholder input, the Corps of Engineers revised its operating guidance for Rathbun Lake. The new guidance allows for an annual opportunity, every autumn, for the lake to schedule a release of water to benefit state and privately managed conservation and recreational areas downstream in the Chariton watershed. This release of water will not exceed 2,700 cubic feet per second from Rathbun Dam and would be sustained for no longer than 3 or 4 days, excluding ramp up and ramp down.

25 Mar 2020

Corps approves temporary modifications to lake water management plans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Due to ongoing challenging conditions with wet soils and higher than normal river levels across the Missouri River Basin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District is canceling plans to increase water levels in reservoirs for the spring as stated in the annual water level management plans.    This temporary modification will better position the Kansas City District's reservoirs to receive spring runoff, and manage for locally heavy rainfall following record lake levels across the district last year. Nine of 18 district reservoirs reached record pools in 2019. Flood control operations at Kansas City District Reservoirs and Bureau of Reclamation lakes prevented $131 million in damages in Kansas and $2.27 billion in damages in Missouri during the 2019 flood event. Life safety and flood control are primary factors in reservoir operations throughout the Missouri River Basin.

13 Aug 2019

Corps at Rathbun Lake to conduct a fall pulse in late September

In 2016, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers updated the Chariton River Water Regulation Manual and incorporated new adaptive water management strategies benefiting interests both upstream and downstream of the Rathbun Lake dam. One of the adaptive water management strategies in the new manual allows for a ‘fall pulse’ or increased water release for a short duration from the lake. This fall pulse gives the Corps the ability to increase water in support of downstream wildlife management goals on state and privately owned lands.

5 Jun 2015

Corps reports above normal May runoff in the Missouri River Basin; drought conditions improve in upper basin

Omaha, Neb. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Missouri River Basin Water Management Division reports May runoff in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, was 3.7 million acre feet (MAF), 110 percent of normal. The 2015 runoff forecast has increased to 22.5 MAF, 89 percent of normal. Average annual runoff is 25.2 MAF.

1 Oct 2014

Corps invites public to Missouri River operations meetings

OMAHA, Neb. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Missouri River Basin Water Management Division will hold five public meetings in late October to discuss the draft 2014-2015 Annual Operating Plan for the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System.