The Army Corps of Engineers announced a change in plans along the Missouri River to reduce flood stages downstream of the Gavins Point Dam.

Reservoir releases at Gavins Point will drop 28,000 cubic feet per second to 22,000 cfs.

Officials say the move was a response to the heavy rain that fell over areas in eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa this weekend.

The recent rains have increased flows on many of the tributary streams which enter the Missouri River below the mainstem reservoir system, pushing some locations along the river to flood stage. Releases from Gavins Point were reduced from 28,000 cfs to 26,000 cfs on Sunday, and were expected to drop to 22,000 cfs on Monday.

“As part of our normal flood risk reduction efforts, we will reduce releases from Gavins Point Dam to help reduce stages on the lower river,” said Jody Farhat, Chief of the Corps’ Missouri River Water Management office in Omaha.

“Similar release reductions will take place at several of the upstream reservoirs including Fort Randall, Big Bend and Oahe.”

The six Corps’ reservoirs on the Missouri River are operated as a system, so whenever release changes are made at one reservoir, those changes are reflected at some or all of the upstream projects, said Farhat.

The release reduction will cause the river in the Sioux City reach to temporarily fall below the navigation target of 31,000 cfs, which is designed to provide a 300-foot wide by 9-foot deep navigation channel.