AHSAHKA, Idaho – Waters streaming from the Dworshak Dam are flowing higher this week because the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers (Corps), Walla Walla District is testing a unit at the facility located near Orofino, Idaho.
Workers are running flow test on its Unit Three turbine. The work started Monday, October 22, 2018 at 11 p.m., when the dam’s discharge was increased from 1,600 cfs (cubic feet per second) to 2,400 cfs and finally reaching a flow rate of 5,900 cft, according to Walla Walla District Civil Engineer, D. Alfredo Rodriguez.
“The water continued flowing at the maximum discharge for 12 hours,” Rodriguez explained. “When testing hydropower units, flows can fluctuate depending on the type of testing.
The tests will run until Thursday, October 25 at 5 p.m., when the discharge will return to 1,600 cfs.
Dworshak Reservoir has a gross storage capacity of 3,468,000 acre-feet, of which about 2 million acre-feet is used to manage local and regional flood risk and for at-site and downstream power generation.
About 45 Walla Walla District employees work at the Dworshak Project. They serve as electricians, mechanics, welders, a forester, utility workers, heavy equipment operators, park rangers, biologists, environmental resource specialists, administrative staff, engineers and maintenance workers. Together, they ensure the safe and continuous operation of the project.