BOISE, Idaho - The Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to increase flows from Lucky Peak Dam beginning Tuesday due to lower elevation precipitation and above-normal winter precipitation in the Boise River drainage.
Flows through the City of Boise will increase from the current flow of 7,500 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) to approximately 7,625 cfs on Tuesday, March 21, and to 7,750 cfs on Wednesday, March 22. These adjustments in releases from the reservoir system are necessary to help reduce the risk of increased flooding later in the spring, which can happen with rapidly melting snow and seasonal precipitation.
A flow rate of 7,750 cfs at the Glenwood Bridge gauge is considered above flood-stage level. Some sections of the Greenbelt Trail adjacent to the river will be submerged. Erosion of river banks may become a significant problem. Minor flooding may be observed on sections of Eagle Island and in other low spots near the river.
Boise River reservoirs are at approximately 52 percent of capacity. More flow increases are possible in the coming weeks, depending on weather conditions.
For real-time Boise River flows at Reclamation facilities in the Pacific Northwest Region visit http://www.usbr.gov/pn/hydromet/rtindex/boise.html.
The Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation operate three dams on the Boise River as a system to manage flood control and irrigation storage needs - Lucky Peak Dam, Arrowrock Dam and Anderson Ranch Dam. Storage capacity provided by Reclamation’s Arrowrock and Anderson Ranch dams, and the Corps’ Lucky Peak Dam, combined with well-planned water releases, help manage Boise River flows through the city of Boise.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
