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News Release US Army Corps 12565 West Center Road Contact: Paul Johnston of Engineers Omaha, Nebraska 68144 -3869 (402) 697 -2552 Northwestern Division Larry Cieslik Public Affairs Office (402) 697 -2675 Phone: (402) 697 -2552 Date: July 8, 2005 Fax: (402) 697 -2554 Water Management Monthly News Release OMAHA — Rain, late season mountain snow, and drought conservation measures continue to take some of the sting out of the 6 -year drought in the Missouri River basin. Reservoir levels have been climbing and the shortening of this year's navigation season will not be as drastic as previously anticipated. The levels of the three big reservoirs in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota each continued to rise in June. Levels at Fort Peck and Oahe were steady to rising during the primary fish fish spawns. Since a 2 -foot decline early in its forage fish spawn, the level of Garrison reservoir has increased 9 feet. Runoff in June above Sioux City, Iowa, was 5.7 million acre feet (MAF), 106 percent of normal and the largest since 1999. "While runoff has improved, the drought is not yet over," said Brig. Gen. William Grisoli, Northwestern Division Engineer. "The three large reservoirs remain many feet below normal levels. Total storage on July 1 was 38.4 MAF, which means the 2005 navigation will be shortened 48 days rather than the 61 days anticipated earlier in the year. Minimum service flows will be continued throughout the season and then further reduced in October and November." Flow support for the commercial navigation season will end as follows: Sioux City, Iowa October 4 Omaha, Nebraska October 6 Nebraska City, Nebraska October 8 Kansas City, Missouri October 10 Mouth near St. Louis, Missouri October 14 The runoff forecast for 2005 has improved to 19.9 MAF, 79 percent of normal. This is an increase from the June forecast of 16.6 MAF. Normal runoff is 25.2 MAF. Releases from Gavins Point Dam in June averaged 21,600 cubic feet per second (cfs), well below the long term average of 3 1, 100 cfs. Gavins Point reservoir will remain near elevation 1206 feet above mean sea level (msl) during July. Fort Randall releases averaged 16,500 cfs in June. They will range from 19,000 cfs to 22,000 cfs in July as needed to maintain Gavins Point reservoir near its desired elevation. Fort Randall reservoir ended June at 1356.8 feet msl. It will gradually decline to 1355 feet during July.