2011 Missouri River Flood

Daugaard: Disappointed With 2012 Corps Plan
Air Date: 11/02/2011

By Kealey Bultena

South Dakota’s leaders and citizens are not pleased with news that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the same plan for 2012’s river management. The Corps’ draft shows planned releases through Missouri River dams are the same as 20-11, when record flooding destroyed hundreds of homes. At a Wednesday meeting, nearly 200 people assessed this year’s strategy. 

Governor Dennis Daugaard makes eye contact with Army Corps officials in the front row as he tells them he’s disappointed with their decision to use a similar river regulation strategy next year. He suggests the engineers examine how accurate their data is and whether they’re appropriately making decisions in real time. Former Governor Mike Rounds says to the Corps, “Don’t let this happen again.”

Other local leaders and seventeen citizens affected by the flooding cast doubt on the Army Corps’ choices during massive flooding this summer. Corps officials say they made decisions based on the information they collected and using their master manual’s protocol. Several people at the meeting suggested they change that manual; Corps officials agree they can alter the strategy, but it is a public process and the last revision took fourteen years for everyone affected to agree.