AHSAHKA, Idaho – Enjoy a variety of outdoor summer-fun opportunities at Dworshak Dam and Reservoir during the Independence Day holiday weekend – boating, camping, water sports, swimming, fishing, hiking and more.
“The reservoir is full, and all campgrounds and boat ramps are open for summertime fun,” said Paul Pence, Dworshak natural resources manager. “And, the bass and kokanee fishing have been great.”
Dworshak Reservoir, on the North Fork Clearwater River near Orofino, Idaho, reach full-pool elevation (1,600 mean sea level) on June 11. Because of the unusually warm early spring, Clearwater Basin snow pack melted off the mountains in the region earlier than normal. As a result, Corps water managers filled the reservoir several weeks earlier than usual this year to ensure adequate water supply to meet flow-augmentation requirements in the Snake River and offer optimal reservoir recreation conditions for as long as possible.
Water managers plan to keep Dworshak Reservoir full for recreation through July 5, unless high temperatures require early releases to reduce river water temperatures, and provide flow augmentation for ESA-listed fish survival. Water releases from Dworshak Reservoir, as required by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Columbia River System Biological Opinion (BiOp), help cool rising water temperature in the lower Snake River and maintain healthy conditions for migrating ESA-listed salmon and steelhead. For more information about Spring-Summer 2016 reservoir operations at Dworshak Dam, check out the online fact sheet
http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Portals/28/docs/dworshak/FS_DworshakReservoir160621.pdf.
Corps park and recreation officials encourage visitors to enjoy all of the facilities at Dworshak Dam and Reservoir, but it's important to remember to leave some things behind.
Fireworks of any kind are prohibited in all the Corps' parks and on its lands across the District. Restrictions aren't intended to limit visitors' ability to celebrate but rather to help all visitors have an incident-free occasion.
The Corps and law enforcement officials will be out patrolling facilities all weekend, according to Deb Norton, lead park ranger for Dworshak Dam and Reservoir. “If we find people lighting or in possession of fireworks on Corps property, we'll ask to them to remove the items immediately to resolve the situation. The very last thing we ever want to have to do is end up writing citations for someone.”
Ultimately, Corps recreation officials hope visitors will recognize and appreciate that safety is everybody's responsibility.
In addition, the reserving of mini-camp sites along the Dworshak Reservoir shoreline is prohibited. The early placement of camping equipment at mini-camp sites to ensure a spot for the Independence Day weekend can result in the removal of the camping equipment or a citation.
Please enjoy the reservoir safely this weekend, by taking the following precautions:
• Changing weather conditions can create unsafe situations on open water. Know the weather and have a float plan.
• Keep life jackets on children while on or around the water.
• Don’t let small children out of your sight.
• Check the serviceability of your boat.
• Ensure proper fitting, accessible, and serviceable life vests are available for each occupant on your boat. Better yet, wear them.
• Before proceeding at higher speeds, familiarize yourself with the area you will be boating as there may be floating woody debris or rocks, stumps, and shallow areas not visible from the surface.
• When boating on the reservoir, please use caution because lake levels can change quickly.
The Dworshak Dam Visitor Center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Visitor Center offers a variety of interpretive displays and movies about Dworshak and the history of the area, including the popular “Last of the Log Drives.” For more information, call the Dworshak Visitor Center at 208-476-1255 during normal business hours.
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