Management of the Missouri River system will be similar to last year, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' draft for its 2007-08 annual operating plan.

The corps will take comments on the draft plan at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Doublewood Inn.

The plan is available on the corps' Web site, http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/aop.html. Written comments will be taken through Nov. 16, and the final AOP will be released before the end of the year.

With continued drought hanging on, the six corps reservoirs lost about 1 million acre-feet of water during September, the corps said in its monthly water management release.

Runoff last month was 43 percent of normal, revising the calendar-year runoff forecast to 20.8 million acre feet, 82 percent of normal. System storage peaked in early July at 40.3 MAF and declined to 37.5 MAF by September's end, 2.5 MAF higher than it was at this time last year. Normal for the end of September is 56.1 MAF.

Garrison Dam releases averaged 11,600 cfs during September, compared to the long-term average of 20,900 cfs. Lake Sakakawea peaked for the year on July 10 at elevation 1,818.3 feet above mean sea level and declined to 1,813.7 feet by the end of September. It is expected to decline about a foot this month. It is 23.5 feet below normal but 4.2 feet higher than last year at this time.

Releases from Lake Oahe averaged 8,100 cfs in September, below the long-term average of 29,500 cfs. Oahe reservoir climbed about a foot in September to 1,580.9 feet msl, 19.6 feet below normal. It's nearly 9.5 feet higher than last year at this time. The reservoir is expected to remain at approximately the same elevation throughout October.

Under the draft AOP, Lake Sakakawea's elevations could range between a best-case scenario of 1,833 feet msl to a worst-case scenarios of1,803 msl. Worst-case elevations could affect 100 to 150 cultural sites as well as lake access at some boat ramps.

Some intakes for municipal water supplies also could be affected. The corps lists Mandaree, Twin Buttes, White Shield, Four Bears, Pick City and Garrison intakes as potentially having problems.

If water conditions permit, the corps also will give Lake Sakakawea priority for a steady to rising pool level during the rainbow smelt spawn in April and May.

The cold-water habitat the Lake Sakakawea's game fish prefer also could be affected under projected worst-case scenarios. Three trash racks have been fitted with plywood on their lower ends to force water to be drawn from higher, thus warmer, lake water. Releases will be done from the modified intakes as much as possible, the corps said.

Service for downstream navigation will be set at minimum flows.

(Reach outdoor writer Richard Hinton at 701-250-8256 or richard.hinton@bismarcktribune.com.)