News Release Archive

Water Releases to increase at Gray Reef, Glendo and Guernsey Reservoirs

Media Contact: John H. Lawson, (307) 261-5671, jlawson@usbr.gov
Tyler Johnson, tjohnson@usbr.gov

For Release: February 17, 2011

The Wyoming Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation in Mills, Wyo., will increase the release of water to the North Platte River in February 2011, according to John H. Lawson, Wyoming Area Manager. The early increase in releases will be initiated to provide space in the reservoirs for potential inflow from spring runoff.

The total storage for the North Platte Reservoir System as of January 31, 2011 is 2,212,700 acre-feet (af), which is 141% of the 30-year average of 1,564,800 af. The total conservation storage capacity is 2,787,800 af for the North Platte Reservoir System. The high storage is due largely to above average inflows over the past three years. The early releases to provide additional space for regulation of runoff this spring have been incorporated into our monthly operating plans which show that all ownerships fill.

Release of water from Glendo Reservoir will start at 500 cubic feet per second (cfs) on the morning of February 22 to raise the elevation of Guernsey Reservoir approximately four feet during the last week of February. On March 1 Glendo releases will be increased to 1,000 cfs and further increases will be made in early March in order to reach a release of 3,500 cfs by mid March. Release of water from Guernsey Reservoir will be initiated on the morning of February 28 with a flow of 500 cfs and will be increased during the week to 1,500 cfs on March 3. Starting on March 8 the releases will again be increased from Guernsey Reservoir until a release of 3,500 cfs is reached by mid March.

The present release of 500 cfs from Gray Reef Reservoir is expected to increase on February 23 to 750 cfs. Further increases in the release from Gray Reef Reservoir will be made starting February 28 in order to reach a release of 2,700 cfs by March 5. The planned releases will be adjusted, as necessary, based on river conditions.

March and April releases for the purpose of evacuating water in preparation for spring runoff have not been necessary since 1998. These releases will result in unusually high flows in the North Platte River in Eastern Wyoming and Western Nebraska for the months of March and April.

These releases will result in changing reservoir levels. The public should be aware of the changing flows in the North Platte River along with the changing reservoir levels and take proper precautions.

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Relevant Link:

Wyoming Area Office Home Page