The Waterways Journal24 Jul 2026Macro
Automatically composed with AI from the cited sources
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reduced Missouri River flow support to minimum service and shortened the official navigation season by 16 days, ending it November 15 instead of December 1. System storage on July 21 stood at 49.1 million acre-feet, down 0.1 MAF from the prior week, with the 2026 calendar-year runoff forecast at 15.5 MAF—60 percent of the historical average. Gavins Point reservoir releases are 24,000 cfs, and Fort Peck, Garrison, and Oahe reservoirs sit 9.8, 9.5, and 10.4 feet below their annual flood-control zones respectively. More than 77 percent of the basin is in abnormally dry or drought conditions, with 14 percent classified as extreme or exceptional.