Drought Conditions Resulting in Lower Missouri River Runoff

(Omaha, NE)  —  Drought conditions are expected to expand and worsen across Iowa when the new map is released Thursday.  The continued hot, dry weather is being reflected in runoff predictions for the Missouri River.  Kevin Grode with the U-S Army Corps of Engineers in Omaha says lower-than-normal runoff has persisted since last year.  Grodge said, “Amy runoff in Sioux City was two-point-one-million acre feet, which is 61 percent of average.”  Grode says the Corps’ overall runoff prediction will end up well below normal.  He says given the dry soil moisture conditions, they expect runoff to remain below average during the remainder of the calendar year.  The Corps is sending letters to water users all along the river, warning them of possible problems with low water access.