AHSAHKA, Idaho –Discharge flows from Dworshak Dam and
Reservoir are being increased today, March 31, 2016, from approximately 2,200
c.f.s. (cubic feet per second) to about 14,000 c.f.s. to make room for
anticipated inflows resulting from additional rainfall and snowmelt in the
Clearwater sub-basin, according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
water-management officials.
Flows will increase gradually starting at noon, causing
water elevation in the Clearwater River to rise about one-half-foot per hour
until approximately 5 p.m., when flows reach their target output. To manage
reservoir space and reduce flood risk, water managers will maintain the
discharge rate until inflows subside.
Corps officials advise boaters, anglers and other people
using waterways both in Dworshak Reservoir and below the dam on the Clearwater
River to be alert to changes in water elevation and volume of flow.
Water-management changes can be pretty dynamic this time of year as weather
systems come through the region and temperatures begin to rise. Current
water-management conditions can be viewed on the District website at
http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/WaterManagement.aspx.
Managing water levels to reduce flood risk throughout the
reservoir system requires constant weather and snow-pack monitoring and making
appropriate adjustments to ensure enough storage space is available for
rainfall and snowmelt that occurs each spring.
Dworshak’s powerhouse has two 90,000-kilowatt and one
220,000-kilowatt generating units in operation, for a total capacity of 400,000
kilowatts. Dworshak Reservoir has a gross storage capacity of 3,468,000
acre-feet, of which about 2 million acre-feet is used for local and regional
flood risk management; and for at-site and downstream power generation. At full-pool
elevation of 1,600 mean sea level, the reservoir is about 54 miles long, has a
surface area of about 20,000 acres and extends into the Bitterroot Mountains.
The reservoir provides substantial recreational and wildlife benefits.
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Release no. 16-014