Kevin Grode provides an overview of the Missouri River Mainstem System of Dams and the purposes they serve. He breaks down the drainage areas for runoff into each reservoir as well as the unregulated tributaries. He also discusses how annual runoff is captured, stored and released. Finally, he covers the operation of Gavins Point Dam during the mid-March storm.
Levees are man–made structures, usually earthen embankments or concrete floodwalls, designed and constructed to engineering standards to contain,
control, or divert the flow of water to provide reasonable temporary flood management. There are a variety of issues or concerns associated with water on levees.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District continues to rebuild the Union Dike levee breach near Valley, Nebraska.
The repairs are temporary, but will address a 500-foot section of breach caused by recent flooding in the area, and will serve to prevent future flood waters from entering the affected area.
“This is a temporary levee to restore some level of protection in the event of any water until a later date when a levee can be rebuilt to certain standards with proper cohesive and random fill material,” said Dustin Davis, civil engineer, USACE-Omaha “That way, you can have proper testing requirements to prove it’s been compacted properly.”
The levee breach is being filled with sand and crushed concrete procured...
OMAHA, NE – All 2018 stored flood waters were evacuated from the Missouri River mainstem reservoir system (System) as of Jan. 29. The full 16.3 million acre-feet (MAF) of designated flood control storage is available to manage 2019 runoff. “The System stands ready to capture spring runoff, reducing flood risk while providing support to other authorized project purposes. Current Gavins Point releases are 20,000 cubic feet per second (cfs)...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) began reducing Gavins Point releases to the winter release rate on December 2. The releases will be stepped down at a rate of 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) per day until they reach 20,000 cfs on December 11. Releases are expected to remain at or near 20,000 cfs for the remainder of the winter. Gavins Point Dam winter releases normally range between 12,000 and 17,000 cfs.
Due to the water currently being stored in the reservoirs and the higher-than-average runoff being forecast in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, the service level was increased 25,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) above full service in late June to facilitate the evacuation of stored flood waters. The increased service level means that Gavins Point releases will be increased to approximately 60,000 cfs, as downstream tributary...
Higher-than-average releases from all Missouri River System projects, including Gavins Point, will continue over the next several months. Gavins Point releases will be adjusted, when needed, in response to basin conditions. When necessary, the Corps will reduce releases from the System projects and utilize the available flood control space in the reservoirs, in order to lessen flooding downstream of all the projects. It is important to note...
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Missouri River Basin Water Management Division plans to maintain higher-than-average releases from all System projects, including Gavins Point, over the next several months. “Due to higher-than-average runoff being forecast in the Missouri River Basin above Sioux City, Iowa, we have increased the service level 15,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) above full service to facilitate the evacuation of...
