A higher volume of water can be expected in the Missouri River above Lake Sakakawea in the coming days. On Monday the release from Fort Peck Reservoir was increased from 12,000 cubic feet per second to 15,000 cfs, a volume that necessitated the opening of two spillway gates at that facility. 12,000 cfs is being released through the Fort Peck powerhouse.

The increased amount of water coming down the Missouri and entering the upper end of Lake Sakakawea is not expected to have a major influence on water levels of North Dakota’s largest reservoir, primarily due to falling inflow from tributaries leading into Sakakawea.

On Tuesday the elevation of Fort Peck Reservoir was 2,246.76 feet. Spillway level there is 2,250 feet. Lake Sakakawea was at 1,852.25 feet Tuesday where the overflow level is 1,854 feet.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the 15,000 cfs release rate from Fort Peck is to continue through the end of August to evacuate runoff from the reservoir’s flood control zone which is from 2,234 to 2,250 feet with the top four feet designated as “exclusive” flood control zone. Current projections have Fort Peck dropping to 2,246.1 at the end of August.

Inflow into Lake Sakakawea was gauged at 40,100 cfs Tuesday with an outflow of 46,000 cfs. Based on the latest data, Lake Sakakawea is projected to end the month of August at 1,851.1 feet. The flood control zone on Lake Sakakawea is 1,837.5 to 1,854 feet. The storage area from 1,850 to 1,854 feet is considered the reservoir’s “exclusive” flood control zone.