Rise in Missouri River Level Attributed to Freezing Process

Bismarck, ND—Residents may have noticed a rise in the Missouri River today. The gauge shows the level went from 4.5 feet to 9.1 feet and that values are affected by ice.

Bruce Engelhardt, ND State Water Commission, confirmed that the River is starting to freeze over with the lower temperatures we have been experiencing. The River remains within normal limits and continues to be monitored by local officials and the State Water Commission. Flood stage for the Missouri River is 16 feet.

Garrison Dam releases have not increased and remain at 20,000 cfs; however, the regulation forecast for the Garrison Dam releases indicates incremental increases starting January 18th to February 3rd from 21,000 cfs to 27,000 cfs. This release schedule will be dependent upon ice conditions.

Burleigh County Emergency Manager, Mary Senger, encourages residents to monitor River levels by going to the Burleigh County website: burleighco.com and going to the “Flood” section under “Emergency Management”. Residents will also be able to sign up for a WaterAlert service from the US Geological Survey which sends an email or text message when parameters exceed the user-defined thresholds.