17-052 Lucky Peak staff schedules ‘rooster tail’ displays

Published April 14, 2017

BOISE, Idaho – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to discharge water April 22 and 23 through Lucky Peak Lake's outlet structure (located adjacent to the powerhouse) to create the classic “rooster tail,” historically one of the area’s popular attractions. The six-hour-long displays are scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23.

The water used to create the displays comes from required release rates that exceed what can be used for power generation,” said Lucky Peak Lake Operations Manager Matt Walker. The “rooster tail” discharge comes through the dam’s outlet slide gates, nicknamed “flip buckets,” which dissipate the quick moving water's energy by sending it hundreds of feet through the air, creating an arch of spray into the Boise River. Depending on lake surface elevations, the rooster tail has been observed reaching heights up to 150 feet, Walker added.

The “rooster tail” display typically attracts a large viewing audience. Traffic congestion and delays are expected. To reduce parking challenges and make the display more accessible for all ages, Lucky Peak Dam and Lake staff established a fun driving route that starts by first crossing Lucky Peak Dam then winds down behind the dam and exits through Sandy Point. The route offers the public an all-weather event, accessible to all ages and abilities, with many different viewing angles of the rooster tail from the comfort of their own vehicles.

“The driving route was a huge success in 2011 and 2012,” said Natural Resources Manager Keith Hyde. “It’s really neat to see at times a car full of three generations together enjoying the display. It stirs up a lot of great stories from when this display was commonplace before the Power House was built. With the unpredictability of spring weather too, the driving tour makes this a truly rain-or-shine event.”

The free driving route begins by crossing the top Lucky Peak Dam, then descends the dam, getting close to the rooster tail using a graveled service road before exiting through the powerhouse. Hyde asks participants to drive slowly and remain in their vehicles along the route.

Parking is available near the end of the driving route at Sandy Point State Park or Discovery State Park, operated by Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, where a $5 entrance fee is collected. Free parking is extremely limited and will not be allowed along Highway 21, along the access road to Sandy Point, nor the road across the dam.

To get there from Boise, travel east on Interstate 84 for about two miles, take the State Highway 21/Gowen Road exit (Exit 57), and follow Gowen Road/ Highway 21 east for 7.5 miles, passing Sandy Point, and follow event signs to cross Lucky Peak Dam.

A fact sheet about Lucky Peak’s rooster tail is available on the web at http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Locks-and-Dams/Lucky-Peak-Dam-and-Lake/.
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NOTE TO MEDIA: high-resolution images of the Rooster Tail discharge are available on our website http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Media/Images/igsearch/Rooster/


Contact
Public Affairs Office
509-527-7020
cenww-pa@usace.army.mil

Release no. 17-052