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News Release Archive
Bureau of Reclamation to Increase Flows below Tiber Dam
Media Contact:
Paula A. Holwegner, (406) 247-7300, 06/04/2013
For Release: June 04, 2013
BILLINGS, Mont. -- The Bureau of Reclamation will increase flows to the Marias River below Tiber Dam beginning Monday, June 10, and continuing through the month of June. The increase in river flows is being coordinated with Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks as part of a multiyear study on pallid sturgeon spawning activities.
Beginning June 10, releases will increase approximately 500 cubic feet-per-second (cfs) per day until a total release of approximately 2,000 cfs is reached on Wednesday, June 12. The 2,000 cfs release rate will be held for approximately one week.
Beginning Wednesday, June 19, releases will be reduced to approximately 1,500 cfs and again on June 20 to approximately 1,000 cfs. This flow will be maintained through the remainder of June.
Depending on actual inflows into Lake Elwell during this period, release rates and schedules may be adjusted. Following this period of increased flows, releases to the Marias River will be returned to the current rate of approximately 700 cfs and maintained at that rate until further notice.
The pallid sturgeon is an endangered species of ray-finned fish, endemic to the waters of the Missouri and lower Mississippi River basins of the United States. The pallid sturgeon, named for its pale coloration, averages between 30 and 60 inches in length and 85 pounds in weight at maturity. The pallid sturgeon takes 15 years to mature and spawns infrequently, but can live for up to a century.
River recreationists and irrigation pumpers are advised to be cautious throughout the period of increased flows.
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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.
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