CONTACT: Patricia Graesser 206-764-3760, cell 206-229-7087   

SEATTLE -- Water stored at dams operated by the Seattle District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, greatly reduced the river levels experienced on western Washington rivers this week.

The Corps, Seattle District's Mud Mountain Dam on the White River (which feeds into the Puyallup River) stored water to reduce peak flows in the Puyallup River at Puyallup from a possible flow of 55,000 cubic feet per second (55,000 cfs) to a regulated flow of 34,000 cfs, keeping flood waters down more than 5 feet. The Corps’ Howard Hanson Dam on the Green River held flows at Auburn to 10,200 cfs from a potential flow of 23,000 cfs, keeping flood waters down more than 7 feet.

Additionally, the Seattle District Corps of Engineers Reservoir Control Center assisted in flood reduction operations at dams on the Wynoochee and Skagit Rivers. On the Wynoochee, the Corps' water managers controlled the Wynoochee Dam, minimizing the river level there by almost 4 feet and preventing widespread flooding by reducing peak flows at Montesano from a possible flow of 22,000 cfs to a regulated flow of 15,700 cfs. On the Skagit River, flood reduction assistance by the Corps at Upper Baker and Ross dams helped keep flood waters down by almost 3 feet in the vicinity of Concrete.

As of this morning, Howard Hanson Dam was releasing 7,000 cfs and Mud Mountain Dam was releasing 7,500 cfs.  River flows below both projects will remain relatively high over at least the next few days as the Corps releases stored flood water in the reservoirs to lower the reservoirs in preparation for potential future flood events.

Seattle District continues its flood fighting efforts at other basins around the Northwest, increasing staffing on the Puyallup River upstream from Orting to assist Pierce County with a nearly 700-foot levee breach.  Thus far the district has invested $350,000 in flood risk reduction measures since Tuesday and supplied 12,500 sandbags to Snohomish County and 10,000 to the town of Orting.  The Emergency Operations Center and the Reservoir Control Center in Seattle will continue to operate around the clock as long as flooding persists.

For more information on the Corps, and up-to-date river forecasts, go to www.nws.usace.army.mil <http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/> and click on Rivers and Reservoirs. Lake and river information is available at: http://www.nwd-wc.usace.army.mil/nws/hh/basins/

Private Citizens seeking sandbags should contact their local government offices.

The National Weather Service issues flood watches and warnings and should be consulted for that information.

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