News Release
ST. PAUL DISTRICT
Nov.1, 2012
MVP-PA-2012-108
TITLE GOES HE
Patrick Moes: 651-290-5202, 651-366-7539 patrick.n.moes@usace.army.mil
George Stringham: 651-290-5201, 651-222-6804, george.e.stringham@usace.army.mil
Corps of Engineers plans to store water in the Mississippi Headwaters
in an effort to ease drought conditions downstream
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, is preparing to store future rainfall
within the Mississippi River Headwaters’ reservoirs during the next few weeks in an effort to ease drought
conditions and support navigation south of St. Louis.
The St. Paul District falls under the Corps of Engineers’ Mississippi Valley Division. Maj. Gen. John
Peabody, division commander, recently directed St. Paul District staff to hold any future precipitation within
its Headwaters’ reservoirs until the water can be released later this year. The timing of the Headwaters
release will depend on the weather, but the plan is for the release to happen before winter freeze-up and it
will only include water collected during the next few weeks. The plan does not call for the reservoirs to drop
below normal winter drawdown levels.
The intent of this decision is to provide adequate water levels for river navigation south of St. Louis after
flows are reduced from the Missouri River later this year. Flows are reduced annually at the conclusion of
the navigation season on the Missouri River. The Corps is congressionally mandated to maintain the 9-foot
navigation channel and current drought conditions could impact this need near St. Louis as early as
December.
All six Headwaters reservoirs are in winter drawdown at this time. Due to the drought conditions, the Corps
set the dams to release minimum discharges. Residents may notice reservoir levels are dropping slightly
slower than the annual rates. If a large-scale rain event should occur during this time, the reservoirs could
potentially rise to summer conservation levels.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, serves the American public in the areas of environmental
enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and
disaster response. It contributes around $175 million to the five-state district economy. The 700 employees
work at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.
-30Website: http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/
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