Reservoir Levels on Track for Spring - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Reservoir Levels on Track for Spring

The levels of the three main reservoirs used for flood control along the Souris-Mouse River are where they're supposed to be at this time of year.
The levels of Rafferty and Alameda Reservoirs in Canada and Lake Darling in North Dakota are set by the 1989 international agreement that governs river management.
That agreement requires certain levels be met by February First each year.
And all three are currently a bit below those required levels.

The largest reservoir is formed by Rafferty Dam near Estevan.
It's level is at 549.47 meters, slightly below the prescribed level of 549.5.
Alameda Dam near Oxbow, Saskatchewan determines the depth of that reservoir.
And it is at 560.91 meters - again slightly lower than the required level of 561.
In the US, Lake Darling is at 1595.89 feet, just a bit under the desired level of 1596.
The International Souris River Board will meet later this month to decide if management of the river system in the US should be transferred to the Corps of Engineers.
That move is made in years when the board determines there is a good chance that the coming spring will bring water levels in the top 10% of runoff levels - what the group calls a "one-in-ten" year.
If it's decided to be a less-than "one-in-ten" year, management of the system remains with the US Fish and Wildlife Service.