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Corps preps Missouri River dams and reservoirs for winter

An aerial view of Gavin's Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota (file)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
An aerial view of Gavin's Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota (file)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is adjusting water levels along the Missouri River ahead of the winter months.

As seasons change, the Corp changes the release rates at key dams along the river.

These releases help adjust water levels in reservoirs across the state in preparation for winter snowmelt. Adjustments will put reservoirs, like Lake Oahe, at four feet below flood control levels in March.

In Yankton County later this month, Gavin's Point Dam will begin its flow change from about 240,000 gallons per second to 98,000 gallons per second.

Ryan is the local host of "Morning Edition". Originally from Iowa, he first came to the Black Hills to study at SD Mines. After graduating in 2019, he was an educator in Arizona and North Dakota before returning to the Black Hills.