The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans two "spring pulses" to satisfy requirements of the Endangered Species Act, it announced in its draft 2006-07 Annual Operating Plan for the Missouri River.

There must be least 36.5 million acre feet of water in the main stem reservoirs on March 1 and 40 MAF on May 1, however.

Current storage is 35.1 MAF. Increased reservoir levels are dependent on rain this fall and snow on the plains and in the mountains this winter.

The pulses would be delayed until 2008 if there is not sufficient water in the system.

As in 2006, primary consideration will be given to withdrawing the water needed for a May pulse from Fort Randall reservoir rather than from one of the upper three. Doing that will avoid further declines in those reservoirs, which are extraordinarily low because of ongoing drought.

The draft plan, which describes the overall management plan for the dams and reservoirs, anticipates that there will be only minimum flows for the 2007 navigation season, which could be shortened 29 to 61 days, depending on runoff this winter and spring.

Releases from Gavins Point Dam may be cycled during May to encourage the least terns and piping plovers to nest high on the sandbars.

They will be adjusted in June to meet navigation flows through mid-August, when the birds begin annual migration south.

Steady to rising reservoir levels during the spring fish spawn can usually be maintained if there is normal or above normal runoff. However, continued drought conditions may not make that possible at all the upper three reservoirs.

If that is the case next spring, the corps will strive to maintain steady to rising pools in the Fort Peck and Oahe reservoirs during their respective forage fish spawn periods.

The ability to provide such conditions depends on the volume, time and distribution of the runoff from melting snow on the plains and in the mountains of Montana and Wyoming.

A series of meetings on the draft AOP is planned, including one at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Doublewood Inn in Bismarck.

The draft AOP is available on the Northwestern Division Web site: www.nwd-mr.usace.arm-y.mil/rcc/aop.html. Comments on the draft plan will be taken during the meetings and in writing through Nov. 20.