SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Senator Mike Rounds yesterday questioned the Army Corps of Engineers about its response to reports of high mountain snowpack levels and a wetter than normal spring impacting the Missouri River in South Dakota.
Rounds asked Lieutenant General Todd Semonite if the Corps had any plans to release early flows to avoid a repeat of flooding that occurred in 2011.
Semonite says the Corps is doing everything it can with the funds available to be able to project what's going to happen. He says as they look at what the projections could be "we clearly have the authority, under the water control manuals, to be able to start bringing that water down just based on the analysis we have right now."
Rounds asked Semonite if the Corps plans to stay in communication with local communities along the river. He referenced a quote from Corps officials in 2011 that said "we're going to be just fine this year, unless it rains." The Senator says that's not the way to run a major mainstem system.
Semonite says the Corps is talking every day with their hydraulic experts, back into the state and local authorities, he says they want to be transparent and collaborative. He says the goal is to continue to "bring those capabilities down, to be able to absorb whatever we think we would project for that snowpack that's coming."
Rounds asked Semonite if "flood control is the number one priority, and that would be above navigation needs or other types of needs. Flood control is number one. Am I correctly stating that?”
Lt. Gen. Semonite responded: “Sir, life safety without a doubt is number one.”
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