Army Corps Says Long-Term Drought Conditions Persist in Missouri River Basin

(Radio Iowa) There’s been a slight uptick in the amount of water flowing into reservoirs in the Missouri River Basin over the past two months, but the Army Corps of Engineers says it’s not enough to reverse long-term drought conditions along the Missouri River corridor.

The Army Corps of Engineers is slightly increasing the water flow out of the Gavins Point Dam in South Dakota. That will help barges and other vessels navigate the Missouri River through Sioux City, Omaha, Nebraska City and Kansas City. However, the Army Corps intends to conserve water releases if there is no commercial navigation in a given area. The National Drought Mitigation Center estimates that 62 percent of the Missouri River basin is abnormally dry or in a drought.