EMMETT, Idaho - The Bureau of Reclamation will be drawing the reservoir behind Black Canyon Diversion Dam down about 18 feet to safely allow crews to perform necessary maintenance. Black Canyon Diversion Dam is located on the Payette River about 5 miles northeast of Emmett, Idaho.
Reclamation will start drawing down the reservoir Thursday, Oct. 15, and will continue at 6 inches a day until Nov. 19 when it will reach an elevation safe enough for work crews. The public is advised to exercise caution around the reservoir and riverbanks during the drawdown period.
"Exposed sandbars in the upper reservoir may appear attractive for fishing or other activities, but people need to know these areas could be dangerous," said Steven Coulter, Black Canyon facility manager. "The exposed riverbank could also be unstable for people as well as their pets."
During this drawdown Reclamation crews will be cleaning the trash racks of accumulated wood and other debris. This cleanup improves water flow to the turbines which generate hydroelectric power and to the hydropumps that are used to pump irrigation water into an adjacent canal. Crews will also be performing maintenance on the spillway drum gates during the drawdown period.
The 18-foot drawdown will put the reservoir at elevation 2,480 feet until January 2016. Normal pool elevation is at 2,498 feet.
Black Canyon Diversion Dam, completed in 1924, is a multipurpose facility that provides irrigation water and hydropower.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
