GRAND COULEE, Wash. — In preparation for the 2023 irrigation season, the Bureau of Reclamation will begin to operate Potholes Reservoir/O’Sullivan Dam outlet works and Banks Lake/Dry Falls Dam outlet works on March 1, 2023. Water will begin flowing into Billy Clapp Reservoir on March 1, 2023, and Reclamation will begin operating the Billy Clapp Reservoir/Pinto Dam outlet works on March 14, 2023.
To prepare Banks Lake for the March 1, 2023, operation startup, Reclamation will begin pumping water from the John W. Keys III Pump-Generating Plant into the north end of Banks Lake on Feb. 17, 2023. Water is pumped from Lake Roosevelt to maintain Banks Lake elevations for Columbia Basin Project irrigation activities.
Recreationalists on Banks Lake and Potholes Reservoir should be aware that operational activities can lead to a rapid change in conditions without obvious warning signs. The Columbia Basin Project canal infrastructure is closed to public entry for public safety and operational purposes. Reclamation cautions ice anglers and other recreationists on Banks Lake and Potholes Reservoir that operational fill and spill activities may not be readily apparent to the casual observer and may cause ice conditions to deteriorate rapidly.
