The Dam at Gavins Point in South Dakata is slated to increase it’s water releases to 150,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) sometime next week.

Releases at the dam at the end of this week have reached 145,000 cfs. Releases previously have not topped 70,000 cfs second before.

Five dams help control the Missouri River upstream.  The Gavins Point dam is the furthest downstream in the series of dams.  Some of the dams upstream from Gavins Point have already reached the 150,000 cfs rate.

Next Tuesday, The Corps of Engineers plans to increase to the 150,000 cfs rate, that’s the level they are expected to stay at through mid-July or longer. It could be until August before the releases decrease in cubic feet.

By Friday, the Missouri river at St Joseph was at 22.4 feet. It’s expected to reach near 26 ½ feet by Thursday. At Rulo, the river was at 23 ½ feet Friday and is expected to reach 25 ½ feet by Thursday. The record level at Rulo is 26.6 feet.

The river level in Brownville near the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant was at 39.6 feet Friday, and is expected to reach 41 feet sometime next week. The record level there is just over 44 feet.

Parts of Iowa are already feeling the impact of the record releases along the Missouri River. A portion of Interstate 29 closed this week near Interstate 80 and northeast of Omaha. The Missouri River in parts of Iowa rose 2 feet in the last week.

For the latest in river stages, visit the National Weather Service Hydrologic Predictions.

 

The Missouri Highway Patrol was called to a second lane-closing accident Friday along Interstate 29.

The first accident happened Friday morning.  The second involved a dump truck overturning into the median just before 4:00 p.m. Friday afternoon.

The truck spilled part of it’s load onto the northbound lanes of I-29 just north of Dearborn.  Both northbound lanes were closed and one southbound lane was closed for a period of time, Highway Patrol dispatchers said.

 

The Elwood-Gladden levee preparations continued last week, and the levee district board president says it should be ready to go.

Board president Craig Sheppard says volunteers were able to shore up a low spot along the levee with sandbags Friday morning.

Sheppard says soil work continues on a series of sand boils that developed last year. That work is expected to be complete by Saturday.

Sheppard also says they have completed work on a new haul road to for trucks carrying sand to the levee should the need arise.

For alerts from Atchison County, sign up here: Atchison County EMA/911 web page.

Counties in northwest Missouri will spend more time bagging and placing sandbags.

In Atchison County, they placed sand bags over a levee concern Thursday that did not seem to pose any problems at the time, but could in the coming days, Emergency Management Coordinator Rhonda Wiley said.

Atchison County officials are working to stockpile sandbags, work that is planned for prison inmates from Maryville.  Prisoners have been helping in Atchison County for more than week with their sandbagging efforts.

There is a donation account available in Atchison County where residents can donate to help in the fight against flooding.  The account is at the Citizens Bank and Trust in Rockport.  Call them at 660-744-7333.

You can also sign up for alerts from Atchison County Emergency Management officials.  Officials will send email and text alerts.  Sign up by visiting the Atchison County EMA/911 web page.

In Holt County, a birm is complete around the town of Craig and the towns water-plant.  A sandbagged levee has been put in place around the water-plant in Forrest City as well.

Most Big Lake residents have evacuated, Holt County Commissioner Mark Sitherwood said.  No utilities have been shut off so far in Holt County.

National Guard Liason officers are meeting with county officials daily.  Troops won’t arrive until operations are underway.

 

 

 

In anticipation of flooding, Department of Natural Resources officials have closed the Big Lake State Park in Holt County.

The state park is on the oxbow lake near the Missouri River and also closed last year because of flooding.

Staff members are moving furniture and other items and shutting off utilities at the park.

It will re-open once officials determine it is safe to return.

The Missouri River is expected to start increasing in Missouri starting Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.  150,000 cubic feet per second of water will be released from Gavins Point Dam in South Dakota.