OMAHA, Neb . — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Monday it will change its policy for managing the Missouri River in the wake of a summer of record flooding that damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and caused billions of dollars in damages to roads and levees along the river. The floods were caused in large part when the Corps released a record amount of water from giant reservoirs in the upper Missouri River basin because of a large amount of water from melting snow in the Rocky Mountains and unusually heavy rains in upstream states. Brigadier Gen. John McMahon, northwest Missouri River Regional commander, said the Corps will make the changes this winter. That includes getting as much water as possible out of the upstream reservoirs and releasing more water earlier in the spring as needed. Many residents recently aimed nasty comments at the Corps during a series of public hearings about the flooding in several states. Governors in the downstream states also demanded changes. That has exacerbated tensions with upper Missouri states, especially Montana, which worries that there won’t be enough water in the lakes for water supplies, irrigation and recreation during droughts.
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 11 a.m.
