Corps of Engineers closing Missouri River recreation areas, visitor centers

Staffing shortages blamed for service reductions in Dakotas, Nebraska and Montana near start of tourist season

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will close or reduce services at recreation areas across the Dakotas, Nebraska and Montana due to staffing shortages, the Corps’ Omana District announced Wednesday.

The Corps attributed the closures to seasonal staffing shortages. The agency maintained that it didn’t have the resources to safely open and manage recreation sites at their normal levels of service. Environmental considerations and hydropower and dam operations were considered in the decision.

The closures and reductions in services are temporary. They begin May 1.

Sioux Falls battening down the hatches amid slumping tax revenues