WASHINGTON, D.C. (KCCR) – After years of pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the first parts of a snowpack monitoring system will be installed over the next five years. The system will be used to help the Corps manage runoff into the Missouri River system.

South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds says four universities in South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming have contracts to install the devices.

48-million dollars has been appropriated between now and 2025 to install up to 540 monitors.  Rounds says drought monitoring may also be implemented with the snowpack monitoring.

Rounds says it’s another step in making life along the Missouri safer from flood threats.

Joining SDSU to help build out the snowpack monitoring system are the University of Wyoming, University of Montana and North Dakota State University.