VERMILLION, S.D.(WNAX)- The levels of the Colorado River and its reservoirs have dropped drastically due to a now twenty-year long drought through that basin.

The Missouri River basin may go in a different direction.

David Swanson, Director of Research at the Missouri River Institute at the University of South Dakota, says the current dry conditions are a concern.

Less snow and runoff have been major problems in the Colorado River basin. Swanson says there are similar conditions in the mountains of Montana and Wyoming that feed the Missouri River.

Swanson says expected climate changes may bring more extreme rain events to the region.

The Corps of Engineers predicts that runoff this year into the Missouri River system will be among the top ten lowest on record.