PIERRE, S.D. (AP) Monday, June 27, 211 8:16 am — The Corps of Engineers says that despite heavy weekend rains in parts of the Missouri River basin it expects the Oahe Dam reservoir in South Dakota to peak just a few inches below the top of the emergency spillway gates.
That means the agency wouldn't have to use the spillway, which is an earthen channel instead of concrete and subject to erosion. Jody Farhat with the corps tells South Dakota Public Radio that officials are trying to avoid using the spillway. The reservoir level is less than half a foot from the top of the gates because of heavy spring snowmelt and rains.
KCCR radio reports that the corps plans to increase Oahe releases to 160,000 cubic feet per second by Friday, then begin dropping them back the following Tuesday.
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Uploaded by guymore50 on Jun 26, 2011
160,000 Cubic Feet Per Second flowing through the six diversion tubes below the Oahe Dam in Pierre, SD. This is the largest discharge of water in the history of the world's largest earthen dam.
