Combined releases to be cut to 1,200 cfs Wednesday

Combined releases out of Jamestown and Pipestem reservoirs will be reduced to 1,200 cubic feet per second on Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers said in a press release Monday.

Releases are currently 950 cfs from Jamestown Reservoir and 300 cfs from Pipestem Reservoir, which is a total of 1,250 cfs.

“With a planned reduction of 50 cfs at Jamestown on May 12, the combined releases from the reservoirs will be 1,200 cfs, which will be maintained until late May,” said Col. Robert J. Ruch, commander of the corps’ Omaha District. “Releases will then be gradually reduced as the remainder of the flood control storage is evacuated. With average precipitation, all the water in the flood control storage zones will be evacuated by late July. This could take longer if abnormally high rain occurs.”

Pipestem Reservoir is a corps project and Jamestown Reservoir is a Bureau of Reclamation project that is regulated by the corps when it reaches its flood control zone.

Jamestown Reservoir was at a level of 1,442.7 feet mean sea level Monday with 33 percent of the flood control storage occupied, the corps said. Pipestem Reservoir was at 1,471.1 feet msl with 35 percent of the flood control storage occupied.

The corps, Bureau of Reclamation and National Weather Service will continue to monitor rainfall and runoff conditions, and will provide updated forecasts and release plans as conditions change.

River stages on the James River in North Dakota and South Dakota are available on the U.S. Geological Service website at http://nd.water.usgs.gov/floodinfo/james.html. For additional information, go to the Omaha District website at http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil or contact Paul Johnston at 402-995-2416 or toll free at 888-835-5971.

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