News Release Archive

Spillway Testing This Week for Parker and Davis Dams

Media Contact: Rose Davis, 702-293-8421, jdavis@usbr.gov

For Release: July 21, 2014

BOULDER CITY, Nev. – The Bureau of Reclamation’s Lower Colorado Region is conducting a test of Parker Dam’s spillway structure on July 22, 2014 at approximately 10:00 a.m. (PT). The spillway test for Davis Dam is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. (PT). The water being released through the testing of the spillway gates is part of the water normally released to fulfill downstream water orders.

At each dam, one spillway gate will be opened for about seven minutes releasing approximately 26 acre-feet (af) at 1,500 to 1,700 cubic feet per second (cfs). During the seven minute controlled test, the water will be released from the face of the Parker Dam and the forebay of Davis Dam through a one-foot opening in the spillway gate and be visible to visitors and residents in the area.

This spillway gate testing is part of Reclamation's maintenance process that involves periodic and mandatory testing of critical portions of each facility to ensure that they will operate normally if needed. Spillways are used to safely pass water that cannot be accommodated through other means such as penstocks and turbine-generators during a flooding event.

# # #

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.