Below flood stage in September? (today is the 51st consecutive day of above flood stage)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Nancy Gaarder

The Missouri River at Omaha could be below flood stage in September, said Jody Farhat of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Decisions soon to be made will determine whether that happens, she said. Farhat manages the water release rate from the six dams on the upper Missouri.

Corps officials are reviewing eight to 10 scenarios for reducing the record amounts of water now being released from upstream dams. The agency plans to announce by early August when, and by how much, it intends to lower those releases, Farhat said.

Erik Blechinger, a spokesman for the corps, said the agency is weighing competing needs.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20110722/NEWS01/707229881#below-flood-stage-in-september

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A previous story: 50 days of flooding and counting http://www.omaha.com/article/20110721/NEWS01/707219893

Photo: http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=OW&Date=20110721&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=707219893&Ref=AR&maxw=490&maxh=275

Published Thursday July 21, 2011

By Chad Nation
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Wednesday was the record 50th day that the Missouri River has been above flood stage in Council Bluffs, but at least one official believes there could be good news in the coming weeks.

More that 125 people gathered Wednesday at the Holiday Inn at Ameristar to listen to community leaders, state and federal assistance liaisons and utility workers at a flood preparedness workshop sponsored by the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce.

Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Director Jeff Theulen said a recent release reduction schedule announced by the Army Corps of Engineers is a step in the right direction.

The corps said it would cut the volume of water released from the Gavins Point Dam in South Dakota from 160,000 cubic feet per second to 155,000 cfs on July 31, and to 150,000 cfs on Aug. 1.

THIS full story here: http://www.omaha.com/article/20110721/NEWS01/707219893

[Downwinder]

1. Would be nice if you could shunt some of that water

down here to the dry lands.

[Dover]

6. I agree. Perhaps instead of oil pipelines we should install water

overflow lines that redistribute it BEFORE it tops levees and dams. That and preventing towns and businesses from building too close to the natural floodplains of rivers and lakes. A little respect for natural systems would be a very healthy thing on so many levels.

[jwirr]

2. 69 years old lived in Iowa most of those years - do not remember

this ever happening before - not this long. Also something different this year - our home place located on a small tributary that runs into to big river did not flood at all. Have they finally solved the flooding up river only to have it threaten further down?

[pam4water]

3. D:

[Bennyboy]

4. What about mosquitos?

All that standing watr, gonna be a breeding ground. October is going to be UGLY...

[The Wielding Truth]

5. There is a pattern change. GB or not we must mange this better.