News Release Archive

Upper Snake Flood Control Operations Continue

Media Contact: John Redding, (208) 378-5212, 06/16/2011 15:16
Mike Beus, mbeus@usbr.gov

For Release: June 16, 2011

The Bureau of Reclamation will increase flows below Palisades Dam from 15,000 cubic feet per second to 17,000 cfs Thursday night to slow the rate of fill of Palisades Reservoir. Palisades Dam is located on the Snake River about 50 miles east of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Snake River flows below Palisades Dam were reduced last week to lessen the effect of flood flows from the Henrys Fork on the Snake River downstream of the Henrys Fork confluence. Flood control space in Palisades Reservoir and Jackson Lake Dam remains slightly more than required, but the margin is shrinking.

"As snow melts and reservoir space fills, reservoir operations must respond to changes in the weather and watershed conditions," said Mike Beus, Reclamation Water Operations Manager. "The unprecedented amount of snow that still remains this late in June will result in especially dynamic river flows."

Flows are increasing to maintain a small margin of safety above the required flood control space, Beus explained.

Although the reports of snow water equivalents over four times the average for this date are correct, the averages are now very low and falling quickly. Many of the SnoTel stations above Palisades Dam normally reach a zero recording before this date and are not considered in the computation. The snow water equivalent at this time of year is usually about 15 percent of the seasonal peak; however, this year there is a 71 percent of the average seasonal peak remaining.

Palisades Reservoir is 44 percent full and 678,000 acre-feet of empty space remains to reduce downstream flows. An additional 340,000 acre-feet of space remains in Jackson Lake Dam which is at 60 percent of capacity.

Palisades Dam was constructed by Reclamation in 1957 as part of the Palisades Project. It is a multipurpose facility that provides irrigation, flood control, hydropower, and recreation.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.