News Release
| Release Number: | 04-089 |
| Dated: | 5/12/2004 |
| Contact: | Public Affairs Office, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-Although the year began with above average precipitation and snow pack, dry conditions during the last two months have significantly altered the situation. Despite the recent drying trend, the two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs in the Rogue River Basin are full. How long the reservoirs stay full, however, depends on how much water we release to meet downstream needs.
More information about how the Corps plans to manage the water in Lost Creek Reservoir on the Rogue River and in the Applegate Reservoir on the Applegate River will be presented at two public meetings in May.
The first meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, at the Windmill Inn, 1950 Biddle Road, near Crater Lake Highway in Medford. The second meeting will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, May 21, in the Gold Beach City Council Chambers, 29592 Ellensburg Ave. Corps representatives will be communicating via a conference call to the Council Chambers at the second meeting. The public in attendance will have access to the teleconference. Handouts will be available at both meetings with forecasted reservoir levels and river flows.
The Corps presented its plans for anticipated lake levels and releases for the summer and fall seasons to an interagency group that includes the Oregon Water Resources Department, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Oregon State Marine Board, NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Forest Service.
The Corps invites the public to attend either of the public meetings to provide input on these preliminary plans. Any information provided by attendees, along with agency comments, will be considered before the final water management plans are released in June, said Corps hydraulic engineer Mike Posovich.
Corps projects in the Rogue Basin are operated to serve multiple needs: flood damage reduction, hydropower, irrigation, fisheries, water supply, water quality and lake recreation. The Corps' goal is to effectively balance these competing needs to serve the region and its people.