BOISE, Idaho - The Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to increase flows through the city of Boise. Currently, Boise River flows through town are 3,600 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) and will increase by 500 cfs on Friday, April 6, and an additional 500 cfs on Monday, April 9, 2018. By Monday, flows through town will be approximately 4,600 cfs but may fluctuate slightly due to changing irrigation withdrawals or local precipitation.
Additional flow adjustments are possible later next week, depending on weather conditions, but flows are expected to remain below flood stage. Flood stage is 7,000 cfs, as measured at the U.S. Geological Survey gauge at the Glenwood Bridge in Boise.
Precipitation in the Boise River basin was well above average, 140 percent, for the month of March. Basin snowpack currently sits at 86 percent of average. The water releases will help reduce the risk of flooding later in the spring, which can happen with rapidly melting snow and seasonal precipitation.
The wet pattern from March continues into April with significant precipitation expected over the next 10 days.
Currently, the Boise River reservoirs are at approximately 85 percent of capacity. A full supply of irrigation water is anticipated this summer.
Officials are advising the public to be aware of the danger associated with increased Boise River flows. The water is deep, cold, and fast. Extreme caution should be used near the river banks.
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
