News Release
| Release Number: | 02-156 |
| Dated: | 9/10/2002 |
| Contact: | Heidi Y. Helwig, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-Water releases at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' William L. Jess Dam (Lost Creek Reservoir) in the Rogue Basin will drop periodically during September.
The planned decreases, which will begin Thursday, Sept. 12, will occur at a rate of about 100 cubic feet per second (cfs) each evening until Sept. 22, when the outflow of water should be between 900 cfs and 1,000 cfs, unless rain and water runoff flows exceed those rates. Currently 1,900 cfs is being released, said Jim Buck, operation manager of the Rogue River Basin Project.
River levels are gradually reduced so that fish are not stranded in the shallows. This graduated approach also minimizes impacts on lake and downstream river users.
With these planned releases, Lost Creek Reservoir's elevation should remain at or above 1,812 feet at least through mid-September, extending the use of Stewart State Park's boat ramp. Last year, Buck said, the lake's elevation went below 1,812 feet on Aug. 12. Lost Creek's Takelma Boat Ramp will be usable throughout the rest of the year.
At Applegate, outflows are currently at 240 cfs; that level will be held until the end of September, with a possible increase planned for a short period of time at the end of the month, depending on how much reservoir storage is still available, Buck said.
The planned releases should keep Hartish Park's boat ramp usable until the latter part of September when the reservoir level drops below elevation 1,928 feet, Buck said. Last year, Applegate Reservoir's elevation never rose above 1,905 feet, he said. The French Gulch ramp will be usable for the rest of the year.
The changes are part of annual preparations for the flood damage reduction season. Flood damage reduction season begins Nov. 1 each year. Fisheries concerns also are addressed each year, with protection of adult migrants and spawning grounds a paramount concern as water management plans are outlined.
Water releases are regulated to ensure spawning spring chinook can lay their eggs in downstream areas that will remain in water until the eggs hatch. If flows are too high in the river when the fish spawn, they may spawn in areas that will be dry once the river levels drop as lakes are refilled. Reduced water releases also allow use of the coldest water in the lake to keep egg temperatures in the streams closer to historic levels. Warmer water temperatures cause eggs to mature more quickly and hatch early when food is in short supply.
Lower river flows also discourage fall chinook from migrating further upriver into areas used as spawning grounds by the spring chinook. If they were to do so, both fish would be competing for the same spawning areas. Lower river flows also provide a boost to the one-half pounder steelhead fishery. One-half pounders are fish that migrate to sea, then return after only a few months. Their typical weight of about one-half pound gives these fish their nickname.
The Corps coordinated the water release changes with the Oregon Water Resources Department, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which handles the irrigation contracts. Water management plans are subject to change if Mother Nature decides to lend a hand in providing either more or less rainfall than currently anticipated.
Corps projects in the Rogue Basin are operated to serve multiple needs: flood damage reduction, irrigation, fisheries, water supply, water quality and recreation. The Corps' goal is to effectively balance these competing needs to serve the region and its people.