By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers increased Gavins Point Dam releases from 17,000 to 19,000 cubic feet per second at noon Friday.
The latest forecast indicates that the lower Missouri River basin will experience extreme cold over the next 7-10 days.
The much colder temperatures have the potential to cause or exacerbate ice formation on tributaries and the mainstem of the lower Missouri River.
“We expect ice forming on the tributaries will reduce inflows into the lower Missouri River. By slightly increasing releases from Gavins Point Dam, we will minimize potentially lower river stages caused by lower inflows and reduce the chance of ice jams forming in the Missouri River,” said John Remus, chief the USACE’s Missouri River Basin Water Management Division.
Releases from Gavins Point will remain at 19,000 cfs until the colder-than-normal temperatures have exited the basin and tributary inflows normalize.
Basin and river conditions continue to be monitored, including plains and mountain snow accumulation, and System regulation will be adjusted based on the most up-to-date information.