News Release
| Release Number: | 01-025 |
| Dated: | 3/5/2001 |
| Contact: | Matt Rabe, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.--Low snowpack and a lack of rainfall have contributed to extremely low reservoir levels in the Rogue River Basin in southern Oregon, said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' hydraulic engineer Russ Davidson. Even the best-case scenarios put Applegate Lake on the Applegate River and Lost Creek Lake on the Rogue River well below full for the summer recreation season.
Though rain is being forecast for the area, it may be "too little too late," to regain normal lake levels Davidson said.
This time of year, Lost Creek Lake normally fills at a rate of 2,860 acre feet per day-this year it is filling at a rate of 600 acre feet per day. That means Lost Creek Lake is 26 and one-half feet lower in elevation than is normal for this time of year. Even with an optimistic forecast of rain, Davidson said Lost Creek may only fill to within 8 feet of full. Despite the low levels, however, Davidson said the boat ramps on the lake should remain operational throughout the summer. At this time, the water shortage does not pose any major threat to fisheries in the Rogue River said Corps fisheries biologist Rock Peters. This could change in April and May, however, if there is not additional precipitation in the basin, he said.
Applegate Lake normally fills at a rate of 700 acre feet per day-currently it is losing 50 acre feet of water a day from storage. That means Applegate Lake is 67 and one-half feet lower than it normally is this time of year.
Though only 89 cubic feet per second of water is coming into the lake, the Corps must release at least 120 cfs of water into the river to protect the fall chinook redds (nests of eggs) downstream of the dam. If the Corps cannot meet the required release of 120 cfs, there is a threat of leaving the redds dry, Peters said, which would reduce the number of this year's juveniles.
"The best-case scenario for Applegate is that it may fill to within 24 feet of full, which is at elevation 1963 feet," Davidson said. The current lake elevation is 1861 feet; the boat ramps on the lake are accessible at elevation 1889 feet. If no significant rain falls, it is unlikely the boat ramps, swim beaches and many camping sites will be accessible this year, Davidson said.
In addition to recreation and fisheries concerns, the Corps also has legal commitments it must meet, Davidson said. "At this time, it appears we will be able to meet [legal] commitments for water releases out of Lost Creek," he said, explaining that 6,000 acre feet of water must be released for water right contracts for irrigation and municipal and industrial needs.
Because water levels are so much lower than normal on Applegate Lake, however, Davidson said the Corps will seek guidance from an interagency advisory group about how to best manage the limited water supply to meet its contractual commitments. Davidson said he expects the Corps, in coordination with the advisory group, to develop draft operating plans for both the projects this year.
Once the Corps has received guidance from the advisory group, it will seek public input at public meetings to be held in May on its proposed management plans of Lost Creek and Applegate lakes. Exact dates and times will be announced soon. In the event enough people express an interest in an earlier meeting, however, the Corps will consider those requests, Davidson said.