2011 Missouri River Flood

Governors ask Corps to lower resevoir levels at Garrison Dam
Air Date: 10/17/2011

Jackelyn Severin
 
Governor Dennis Daugaard along with other governors from Missouri River basin states say they want to do all they can to prevent the flood of 2011 from happening again next Spring. The governors met with Army Corps of Engineer officials for a second time in Omaha since flooding began.

One of the proposals to prepare for Spring flooding came from Governor Jack Dalrymple of North Dakota. Dalrymple says he asked the Army Corps of Engineers to lower the elevation of Garrison Dam, located north of Bismarck, by 2 and a half feet.

Dalrymple says, "That change over a 38 day period would create 750,000 acre feet of storage that I think would come in very handy next Spring as we look at next year’s flood event."

Dalrymple says the Missouri River Valley is saturated because of this years flood. He also says the National Weather Service is forecasting below average temperatures for the whole area and above average precipitation in Montana.

Governor Dennis Daugaard says he supports Dalrymple’s proposal. Dalrymple says Corps officials agreed to take the proposal under consideration.