ST. PAUL, MINN. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, started the drawdown of its Red River of the North basin reservoirs in preparation of spring flooding. Fall/winter drawdowns are conducted to help manage anticipated snowmelt runoff in the spring. Additional drawdowns may be necessary depending on snowfall amounts over the winter months.
According to their press release, the Corps of Engineers started drawing down water levels at Homme Dam, near Park River, N.D., and it reached the target elevation of 1,077 feet by Nov. 20. There were small increases in downstream river flows of 20 cubic feet per second or less. Currently, the Homme pool is above 1,077 feet, and the Corps will try to maintain that pool elevation until the spring. Additional drawdown at Homme may be required, depending on the snowpack and runoff anticipated in the spring.
The Corps also started drawing down water levels at Baldhill Dam, near Valley City, North Dakota. Lake Ashtabula continues to slowly drop to the winter drawdown target. Releases will likely continue to remain steady and/or decrease somewhat into December as winter inflows to the dam also decrease. An additional drawdown at Baldhill may be required, depending on the snowpack and runoff anticipated in the spring.
Dependent on the snowpack and runoff anticipated in the spring, Orwell Lake and Lake Traverse may be drawn down in late winter.
Drawdown releases may degrade river ice downstream of reservoirs and care should be taken for those recreating or working in these areas.
The Corps is the nation’s leading federal providers of outdoor recreation. They operate 49 recreation areas, ranging from public boat landings along the Mississippi River to visitor centers at their locks to full-service campgrounds. They also lease 45 recreation areas to other public entities to manage.
