Warm, dry weather during March and April resulted in below normal runoff into the Missouri River mainstem reservoir system, according to officials with the Army Corps of Engineers.

That’s good news, coming just a year after record runoff and snowpack led to record reservoir releases and record flooding.

 

Runoff above Sioux City, Iowa in April was 63 percent of normal, bringing in 1.8 million acre feet (MAF) of runoff compared to a normal amount of 2.9 MAF. When coupled with the long-term forecasts for summer precipitation in the upper basin, the result is a below normal runoff forecast for calendar year 2012.

“Conditions have changed dramatically from last year, especially in regards to mountain snowpack,” said Jody Farhat, Chief of the Water Management Division. “While the risk of flooding due to mountain snowpack runoff is low, the risk of localized flooding from rainfall-driven events is normal.”