Dry conditions across the Missouri River Basin are continuing to reduce runoff and raise concerns about water supplies and navigation later this year. The Army Corps of Engineers reports May runoff above Sioux City, Iowa, totaled just 1.6 million acre-feet, or 46 percent of average. Officials say below-normal precipitation, dry soil conditions, and a lack of mountain snowpack have significantly reduced water flowing into the Missouri River system. The Corps has lowered its 2026 runoff forecast to 15.5 million acre-feet, just 60 percent of average and the lowest level in years, if realized. John Remus, chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Division, said, “The absence of snow in the plains and limited precipitation has caused the soils to dry out, and the runoff forecast later this summer and fall has been reduced.” If dry conditions continue, navigation flows could be reduced further, and the navigation season may be shortened.
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