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MSAC Holds 25th Annual Meeting in Vermillion Oct.16, 2026
From MSAC Reports

PHOTO: Mary Hurd, who lives in rural Avon and along the Missouri River, was part of the founding board of director members of MSAC 25 years ago in June of 2001. MSAC held its 25^th Annual Membership meeting in Vermillion Friday, Oct.16, 2026.

The battle against sediment and diminishing water storage is not a one-solution-fits-all approach. The upper Missouri River basin mainstem reservoirs, including Lewis and Clark Lake, are not alone in their lifespans shrinking.

“I think we are in a moment where there’s some momentum. We’re hitting serious enough issues, or we’re building up enough sediment in some of these reservoirs – where there’s more conversation about how we might change things,” said Josh Olson, of the Kansas Water Office in Topeka.

Via remote meeting connection, Olson visited with those attending the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition’s 25^th Annual Membership meeting held in Vermillion Friday. Olson is the state project manager for the Tuttle Creek Lake Water Injection Dredging Demonstration. Tuttle Creek Lake is located just north of Manhattan, Kansas.

Two-thirds of Kansas residents have their water supply provided by federal reservoirs in the state. Like reservoirs on the Missouri River, the Kansas reservoirs are constantly filling with sediment from inflowing water. Tuttle Creek Lake, which provides drinking water and flood control for more than 40 percent of Kansas residents, has lost approximately half of its multipurpose storage to sediment.

The Kansas Water Office and US Army Corps of Engineers have been researching water injection dredging (WID) on Tuttle Creek Lake. It’s a technology that has been used in ports and channels, especially in Europe, but not in a reservoir before, Olson said. Traditional dredging with confined disposal facilities has a significant cost in just transport and disposal – nearly half.

“Which led us to the question of – ‘Is there a cheaper way to do this?’ One of the fundamental aspects that we were looking at was, could you just pass sediment downstream?” he said.

In collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Kansas City District, the Kansas Water Office learned more about water injection dredging. A jet bar on the dredge injects large volumes of water at low pressure into the sediment bed. This re-suspends the sediment and creates a density current that can be passed downstream through the dam’s low-level outlets.

After years of advocating for the idea beginning in about 2018, funding came together for a demonstration project.   By 2022, the state of Kansas had dedicated $2 million toward the Tuttle Creek project. Then USACE ultimately funded $7.1 million toward the $9.1 million project. The state’s effort surpasses $2 million considering supporting work completed. The primary goals were question-related to see how WID could perform and the impacts downstream.

At least 19 state, academic, USACE, private, and other federal entities are involved with this demonstration project in Kansas aimed at maximizing the value of the data gathered during the demonstration. A final technical report is expected in late March of 2027. A more detailed feasibility or major rehabilitation study with USACE, looking at a variety of alternatives, is planned for the best way to manage the sediment, Olson said.

At Gavins Point Dam in Yankton, there are no low-level outlets as there are at Tuttle Creek Dam. With WID, the density current hugs the bottom 5 to 10 feet of the reservoir.

“If we talk about how do you solve sediment management issues in reservoirs, we’re probably going to need some unique solutions that are tailored to the specific reservoirs and issues … design specifications of each,” Olson said pointing out that WID could be used to move sediment within a reservoir.

It might not be one process to get the sediment past the dam that has no low-level outlets, he said. In a  general example – use WID to get the sediment closer to the dam, like the action of a broom, where something like hydrosuction sediment removal technology could move it downstream.

“Would you be able to use WID to exclusively resuspend sediment and pass it downstream? Not in that situation, but it might be part of an overall solution of maintaining the reservoir,” Olson said.

MSAC meeting attendees also heard from Tim Cowman, State Geologist and Administrator of the South Dakota Geological Survey, a program in the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He presented information about how a major aquifer interacts with the flows in the Missouri River. The Missouri River acts as an important source of recharge to the Missouri aquifer, which is a source of ground water for cities, a regional water system, and a large number of irrigation wells.

Hearing Cowman’s presentation was a good reminder for attendees how the river is a complex system and how water and sediment support our environment in numerous ways.

A general theme from Friday’s meeting was achieving sediment continuity – that sediment is part of a river system. Sediment management cannot stop with one reservoir. Olson said the conversation about sediment was starting to shift away from it being a nuisance. It’s a valuable part of the system and has other potential beneficial uses.

With the introduction of dams, systems are sediment-starved downstream. Introducing sediment downstream is moving toward a more natural state. We can’t stop sediment from entering the system.

“We have to come to terms with the reality that, that sediment is going to be in the system, and working towards sediment continuity is really necessary to have sustainability for reservoirs and not just sediment continuity at one reservoir,” Olson said.

In 2019, MSAC began the process of building a sediment management plan for the Lewis and Clark Lake region with USACE – Omaha District. In December of 2023, Phase 2 was completed. In 2024, USACE conducted a week-long bedload collector demonstration project on the Niobrara River, which contributes as much as 60 percent of the sediment entering Lewis and Clark Lake. MSAC continues to collaborate with USACE on the scope, cost and objectives of Phase 3. A starting date has not been established.

Scott Kostal, MSAC executive director, provided a brief recap of 2026 and looked forward to 2027. He has attended two reservoir sediment management summits in Kansas. Kostal applauded efforts in Knox  County Nebraska aimed at locating grants for potential sediment-related projects.

“As we move into 2027, it is clear we need to place a focus on the economics and financial costs associated with the effects of sedimentation on the upper Missouri River. Areas such as how the economic impact of the river is calculated as it relates to tourism and commerce,” Kostal said adding that a true value of Missouri River water for drinking water and irrigation was needed rather than one-time replacement costs. “Getting a much more detailed picture of the true value that the Missouri River water adds to those who rely on it will shape the importance of completing the Lewis and Clark Lake Sediment Management Plan and getting real mitigation measures put into place to ensure we ‘keep it water’ well into the future.”

MSAC Board of Director Paul Lepisto, of Pierre, said that through its makeup, MSAC brings together a wide variety of Missouri River stakeholders, including local governments and businesses, landowners, power generation, and recreational interests. All of these stakeholders must be involved in the development of the management plan that will determine the future of Lewis and Clark Lake and the entire Missouri River system.

“Finding long-term, cost-effective solutions to the sediment problem won’t be easy,” he said. “But through a collaborative effort, such as the one MSAC is leading, a plan can be developed that will address the many issues and concerns of landowners and the other interests that depend on the future health of Lewis and Clark Lake and the Missouri River.”

In other business, MSAC members re-elected Mary Hurd of rural Avon; Alisha Bartling, environmental director for the Santee Sioux Nation; and Paul Lepisto of Pierre; to continue serving on the MSAC Board of Directors.

Attendees also heard an update from Shane Kinne, executive director of the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River. He provided information regarding lower Missouri River efforts. The full meeting can be viewed at MSAC’s YouTube channel. See button at top of page.

Join the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition for its 25th Annual Membership Meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., Friday, October 16, 2026 at the Edith B. Siegrist Vermillion Public Library at 18 Church Street, Vermillion, South Dakota.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Interested people are encouraged to attend.

Keynote speaker Tim Cowman will discuss how the Missouri River acts as an important source of recharge to the Missouri aquifer, which is a source of ground water for cities, a regional water system, and a large number of irrigation wells. Cowman is State Geologist and Administrator of the South Dakota Geological Survey, which is a Program in the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Impacts of bed degradation below Gavins Point Dam on the river, floodplain, and aquifer will also be explored in Cowman’s presentation, entitled “River-Aquifer Interactions on the Missouri River Floodplain.”

Cowman’s work on the Missouri River includes cause and effect of sedimentation in the Lewis and Clark Lake Delta, flood impacts, water quality characterization, and documenting changes to the river since the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Additional business for MSAC’s annual meeting includes a Board of Directors member election. MSAC’s Board of Director members with terms expiring are: Paul Lepisto, of Pierre; Mary Hurd, of rural Wagner; and Alisha Bartling, of Niobrara/Santee Sioux Nation Environmental Office. All are at-large board of director members. Membership includes four classes of members (Class I-Government, Class II-Organizations, Class III-Commercial, Class IV-Individuals).

MSAC, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, was organized in 2001. It is dedicated to educating the public and to promoting the intelligent use of all available programs and funds to alleviate the sedimentation-caused problems of the Missouri River main-stem reservoirs. MSAC supports a sustainable approach to reservoir management, envisioning doing what is necessary to extend the storage capacity of the reservoir as far into the future as possible recognizing the value of our most precious resource – water.

Those unable to attend in person October 16, will have the option of joining remotely via Zoom link. To attend remotely, register at www.keepitwater.org to obtain the webinar link or email MSAC at msacinfo@keepitwater.org.  

SAVE THE DATE!
Exploring the recreational value produced by the Lewis and Clark Lake Region
to spark discussion at MSAC’s Annual Meeting

Join the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition for its 24th Annual Membership Meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the United Way building in Yankton at 920 Broadway Avenue.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Interested people are encouraged to attend.

For nearly six years, MSAC and a group of local stakeholders have partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Omaha District, to examine solutions to ongoing sedimentation problems that affect a wide area of the river corridor around Lewis and Clark Lake, created by closure of Gavins Point Dam near Yankton.  At the end of 2023, USACE delivered the Phase 2 report of this sediment management plan study, which included a look at the economics related to ongoing sedimentation of the lake and upstream delta. Exploring the value of benefits including recreation related to Lewis and Clark Lake and the region will be a discussion topic at the May 14^th annual meeting. In 2024, USACE with MSAC logistical support conducted a bedload collector pilot project on the Niobrara River for one week in September. Next steps for Sediment Management Plan development including Phase 3 will also be discussed at the annual meeting.

Watch for an agenda and further details at MSAC’s website: www.keepitwater.org. A registration link is available at the top of this page to request the Zoom link to connect to the meeting remotely on May 14.

Additional business for MSAC’s annual meeting includes a Board of Directors member election. MSAC’s Board of Director members with terms expiring are: Butch Becker, of Yankton, Class IV – Individuals, Brian Hunhoff, of Yankton, At Large, and Randy Holmquist, of Mitchell, representing Class III-Commercial.

MSAC, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, was organized in 2001. It is dedicated to educating the public and to promoting the intelligent use of all available programs and funds to alleviate the sedimentation-caused problems of the Missouri River main-stem reservoirs. MSAC supports a sustainable approach to reservoir management, envisioning doing what is necessary to extend the storage capacity of the reservoir as far into the future as possible recognizing the value of our most precious resource – water.

(SPRINGFIELD, SD) – Join the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition for its 23rd Annual Membership Meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., Thursday, May 2, 2024 at the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska – Tribal Headquarters Conference Room in Niobrara, Nebraska at 2523 Woodbine Street.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Interested people are encouraged to attend. A virtual meeting link is available for those who cannot attend in person. Register by clicking the box above.

Paul Boyd, hydraulic engineer – River and Reservoir Engineering Section of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Omaha District, will provide an update brief on the sediment collector pilot project planned for at least a week-long installation on the Niobrara River later this summer. The project, funded by the Corps’ Regional Sediment Management (RSM) Program, is coordinated by USACE Omaha District and in collaboration with the Corps’ Engineering Development and Research Center (ERDC) and the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition (MSAC).

For decades, the Niobrara River with its nearly unlimited sand supply has been the single, largest contributor of the sedimentation building up in the Lewis and Clark Lake delta. MSAC sees this short-term collector pilot project with the potential of sparking long-term results. Over the past several years the group has focused on the Lewis and Clark Lake region as the waterbody behind Gavins Point Dam will be the first of the six Missouri River mainstem reservoirs to fill with sediment if no action is taken. Phase 2 of a Section 22 Planning Assistance to States study requested by MSAC to develop a sediment management plan for this region was released at the end of 2023. Next steps will also be discussed at the annual meeting.

Additional business for MSAC’s annual meeting includes a Board of Directors member election. MSAC’s Board of Director members with terms expiring are: Tim Cowman, of Vermillion, Class I – Governmental Entities, and Kersten Johnson, of Sioux Falls, Class II-Organizations.

MSAC, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, was organized in 2001. It is dedicated to educating the public and to promoting the intelligent use of all available programs and funds to alleviate the sedimentation-caused problems of the Missouri River main-stem reservoirs. MSAC supports a sustainable approach to reservoir management, envisioning doing what is necessary to extend the storage capacity of the reservoir as far into the future as possible recognizing the value of our most precious resource – water.

(SPRINGFIELD, SD) – Join the Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition for its 22nd Annual Membership Meeting scheduled for 10 a.m., Friday, May 19, 2023, at the United Way Community Room, 920 Broadway Avenue, Yankton, SD. Attendees will have the option of joining via webinar. Please register to ensure receiving the latest information.

The meeting is free and open to the public. Interested people are encouraged to attend. Register with button above to obtain the webinar link or email msacinfo@keepitwater.org.

Paul Boyd, hydraulic engineer – River and Reservoir Engineering Section of the USACE – Omaha District, will provide an update brief on Phase 2 and next steps. Joining Boyd will be Justin Brewer, Chief, Economics and Planning Quality Review for USACE – Omaha District. Phase 2 is part of the effort by MSAC, stakeholders and the USACE to develop a sediment management plan for the Lewis and Clark Lake region. Phase 2 includes a detailed economic inventory of benefits and a review of possible sediment management actions that could produce positive sustainability benefits. Next steps will be discussed.

Shortly after Gavins Point Dam was completed in 1957 near Yankton, SD, people at the upper end of the lake and upstream began to feel the impacts of accumulating sediment. Currently, the lake is at least 30 percent full of sediment and by the year 2045 it is projected to be 50% full of sediment. In 2018, MSAC requested technical assistance from the USACE to develop a sediment management plan for the Lewis and Clark Lake region. The project is jointly funded by the USACE and the local sponsor, MSAC. To date, 14 stakeholders along with MSAC and its members have contributed funds to the local effort. MSAC anticipates lessons learned in this process will help the other Missouri River reservoirs in future planning.

Additional business for MSAC’s annual meeting include a Board of Directors member election. MSAC’s Board of Director members with terms expiring are: Mark Simpson, at large, and Paul Lepisto, at large, and Mary Hurd, at large.

MSAC, a 510c3 nonprofit organization, was organized in 2001. It is dedicated to educating the public and to promoting the intelligent use of all available programs and funds to alleviate the sedimentation-caused problems of the Missouri River main-stem reservoirs. MSAC supports a sustainable approach to reservoir management, envisioning doing what is necessary to extend the storage capacity of the reservoir as far into the future as possible recognizing the value of our most precious resource – water. The agenda continues to be developed and will be available at MSAC’s Facebook page or at  www.keepitwater.com.  Please note that the webinar is free via an internet connection. Participants may choose to connect by telephone, in which case long distance charges may apply.

Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, the appointment to and termination from its Board of Directors, hiring and firing of staff or contractors, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, and providing of services.

Mazdak to outline technology focused on addressing reservoir sedimentation
Join MSAC for a free webinar

Emerging technologies could assist in lengthening the lifespans of the nation’s reservoirs plagued by sedimentation. The Missouri Sedimentation Action Coalition invites the public to learn more about one approach from Mazdak International Inc., during a free webinar Friday, Oct. 28^th beginning at 11 a.m. central.

Mazdak International Inc. of Sumas, Washington, was a finalist in the Guardians of the Reservoir Prize Competition and captured the Innovation Award in September with its slurry pulsejet engine. Baha Abulnaga and David Dibley of Mazdak developed this new technology.

Abulnaga will outline the technology and provide information about another of its projects designed to address the transport of sediments.

“The Guardians of Reservoirs noticed that current technology at depth exceeding 50 feet was very limited and challenged the innovators for new solutions for depth of 50 feet to 200 feet or even deeper, such as the Hoover Dam that is 600 feet deep,” Abulnaga said. “Mazdak International developed a new submersible platform that operates on the principle of an internal combustion liquid piston engine. The submersible dives to the depth of 200 feet and operated on the principle of creating the pressure needed to push the slurry up to a mother barge. This is achieved by the detonation of a mixture of a gaseous fuel and air against a liquid piston of dredged sediments and water. Fuel and compressed air are supplied from the mother barge, while slurry and exhaust gases are directed in the opposite direction in separate pipes to the mother barge and then pumped further around the dam in a floating slurry pipeline. The invention is called ‘Slurry Pulsejet Engine’ because it generates pulses of slurry.”

The inventors are also working on collecting methane emissions from reservoirs to convert them as fuel for dredging using the slurry pulsejet engine. It is estimated that the methane emissions from water lakes, rivers and reservoirs could cover all the electricity needs of the Earth for 2018, Abulnaga said.

Continued sedimentation at the nation’s reservoirs threatens project benefits and impacts the environment downstream of dams. It can also impact areas upstream of the reservoir including tributaries.

Email msaconline@gmail.com for the webinar link or visit www.keepitwater.org to register. MSAC intends to offer additional webinars introducing emerging reservoir sedimentation management technologies. MSAC continues to develop a sediment management plan with stakeholders and river managers for the Lewis and Clark Lake region. MSAC is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to education and promoting action to address sedimentation in and around the Missouri River reservoirs.

The Bureau of Reclamation selected D-Sediment team from Germany as the prize winner of the Guardians of the Reservoir Prize Competition, according to Reclamation’s press release dated Sept. 15, 2022. The 3 D Dredger™ Team was presented with the Versatility Award. Reclamation partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NASA Tournament Lab and HeroX on this competition, which was launched on July 14, 2020 to develop more cost-effective sediment removal methods for reservoirs.

To Register Follow this LINK and a fillable form will open. Your link will be emailed before the event.
Or Email: msaconline@gmail.com

READ MORE: Bureau of Reclamation recognizes Guardians of of the Reservoir Prize Competition winning solution to manage sediment in reservoirs

Mazdak International Website

Hydraulic engineers, Tim Randle and Jennifer Bountry with Bureau of Reclamation Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group Office of Denver, provided an informative presentation concerning reservoir sedimentation at MSAC’s annual meeting May 20th. They have worked on multiple dam removal projects in the western United States, river restoration design and analysis, and reservoir sedimentation issues throughout the world.

Dr. Randle is a civil engineer with over 40 years of experience in rivers and reservoirs. He retired from the Bureau of Reclamation as Manager of the Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group and is working for them again on a part-time basis. He presently chairs the National Reservoir Sedimentation and Sustainability Team.

Both have been named Reclamation’s Engineer of the Year, Randle in 1997 and Bountry in 2017. Bountry has been with the Bureau since 1998 serving in both technical and project management roles. She has been pro-active in leading inter-disciplinary studies aimed at linking geomorphology, physical science, engineering and biology expertise to develop river rehabilitation strategies for endangered and threatened species in the Pacific Northwest.

The mission statement of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.

Established in 1902, Reclamation works in 17 western states. Reclamation has constructed more than 600 dams and reservoirs including Hoover Dam on the Colorado River and the Grand Coulee on the Columbia River.

https://www.usbr.gov/main/about/mission.htm

View the Presentation Slide Deck Below. Use the back button on your toolbar to return to this page.

In other business, Paul Boyd, hydraulic engineer with the US Army Corps of Engineers, presented an update on Phase 2. MSAC and stakeholders recently submitted $25,000 to further meet local cost share requirements of approximately $107,000 (50% of Phase 2 total expenses – See first slide in presentation). Phase 2 is expected to be complete later this year. Watch the update below.

View the Phase 2 Presentation Slide Deck Below. Please note it is in Draft Form. Use the back button on your toolbar to return to this page.

Three individuals with terms expiring were elected to the MSAC Board of Directors for 3-year terms. They were Nathan Johnson, at large, Butch Becker, representing Class IV membership (individuals), and Randy Holmquist, representing Class III membership (commercial).