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News Room Headline
Army Corps ready to respond as Western Washington rivers on flood watch
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District
Leslie Kaye, Public Affairs (206) 764-3751 or after hours at (206) 369-8937
January 31, 2003
SEATTLE—The Reservoir Control Center at the Army Corps of Engineers is activated and on 24-hour shifts until further notice as the National Weather Service continues to issue flood watches and warnings for all Western Washington rivers. Rivers are expected to crest later today.
The RCC manages and regulates five dams during times of floods. They are Mud Mountain and Howard Hanson, both located near Enumclaw; Ross and Upper baker on the Skagit River; and Wynoochee Dam on the Wynoochee River. Flood storage space in all five dams is empty and available to greatly reduce the risk of flood on those rivers.
Any flooding that occurs will be the result of a “rain event” say RCC dam regulators. Snow in all basins is low this year and unlikely to contribute to flooding. A moderate El Nino year and drought conditions are the reasons.
“Right now, we are just passing water through, maintaining open flood storage for greater flows today, ” says Army Corps Senior Water Manager, Marian Valentine.
For more information and up-to-date forecasts go to www.nws.usace.army.mil and click on Hot Issues or call the RCC at (206) 764-6702. The web address for the RCC is: www.nwd-wc.usace.army.mil/nws/hh/ Direct access to Seattle District Emergency Management is at web address: www.nws.usace.army.mil/em/
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