The reservoir is eight feet lower than last year at this time.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's Office in Omaha, Neb. reported reservoir levels along the Missouri River Basin have record lows.
"Storage in the reservoir system ended in 2004 at an all-time low," said Larry Cieslik, chief of the Omaha Water Management. Runoff into the reservoir system was 16.6 million acre feet, just 66 percent of the long-term average. Normal runoff is 25.2 MAF. This is the fifth consecutive year below normal runoff.
"We are attempting to mitigate the impacts of drought by implementing more stringent water conservation measures and by helping states and communities cope with the problems caused by low reservoir and river level, and low released," said Cieslik. Over the past several years, the Corps has extended and relocated boat ramps, increased spraying of noxious weeds, and provided technical and emergency assistance to communities dealing with water intake problems. As of Jan. 1, the mountain snowpack was 70 percent of the normal level at Fort Peck, Mont. and 77 percent in the reach from Fort Peck to Garrison.
"Even if we get normal precipitation, we expect to get well below normal runoff due to the dry soil conditions throughout the basin," commented Cieslik. "Our runoff forecast for 2005 is 18.7 MAF, 74 percent of normal."
Garrison releases averaged 15,200 cubic feet per second during December and are expected to remain near that level in January. The Missouri River at Bismarck froze over in mid-December without incident. Flooding can be a concern during the freeze-in period because the river rises rather dramatically over a short period of time.
Garrison reservoir fell more than two feet in December, ending the month's elevation at a record low elevation of 1,810 feet above mean sea level. It will drop two feet in January, ending 27 feet below normal.
Water in storage at Garrison is about 61 percent of the 36-year average. Water in storage at Fort Peck is about 59 percent of the average.
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