In a far turn compared to last year, the Missouri river reservoirs in northern states are giving the river a boost during this years severe drought.
The same reservoirs that brought record flooding last year have helped the Missouri River hold its depth within a foot of normal in some place downstream of Kansas City, according to the Corps of Engineers.
The Missouri River level Monday morning in St Joseph was recorded at 6.89 feet. That’s not far from record-low levels. In the 1988 drought, the Missouri River was recorded at 4.30 feet. The record low was recorded in 1957 at -2.30 feet.
The Mississippi River on the east side of the state, and waterways in Kansas and Nebraska, aren’t so fortunate.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began tapping into reservoir water Friday after depleting the year’s supply of snowpack and rain. Corps officials say there is plenty of water in the northern reservoirs to keep the river moving.