Water Levels Better Than Expected

The level of Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota is higher than predicted just a few weeks ago An official with the Corps of Engineers says he s encouraged by the rise during the month of March and hopes predictions for a snow and rain storm across Montana and the Dakotas might help further The Corps estimates future levels of the lake on the first of each month and on March first that projection called for Lake Sakakawea to be at a level of 1807 2 feet by now - almost a foot-and-a-half lower than where the lake stands now The prediction was based in part on a mountain runoff into the Missouri River of only 85-percent of normal But Phil Brown of the Corps Riverdale office says he hopes the current higher-than-expected level is the start of a trend for the lake this summer Phil Brown Corps of Engineers Maybe I m a little optimistic but since we still have a bit of winter left where we can get some snowfall and some good rain events that the 85 of normal will go up and maybe we ll start approaching close to normal with just a few good snow or rain events And then that would and should in myu opinion push us closer to last year s pool elevation Last year s top pool elevation was 1817 4 feet and Brown is hopeful that this summer the lake can get within a few feet of that The March first projection from the Corps predicted a top level of 1811 1 feet or more than six feet lower than last year Brown says the Corps has spent the last several months working with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department Friends of Lake Sakakawea and other groups concerned about access to the lake working out plans for keeping as many boat ramps as possible open this summer We ll report on those plans tomorrow on KX News