Jamestown/Stutsman County delays additional water releases

Due to the weekend rain forecast, the Corps of Engineers is going to delay any decision to increase water releases from Pipestem and Jamestown dams until Monday, according to Stutsman County Emergency Manager Jerry Bergquist.

River gauges downstream of Jamestown remain steady at or near peak stages. Rain forecasts suggest that up to 1.5 inches of rain could fall which could create elevated water levels on the James River.

Currently, Pipestem Dam continues to release approximately 100 cubic feet per second along with 15 cfs from Jamestown Dam for a combined total of 115 cfs. As soon as possible, the goal remains to increase releases at a rate of 100 to 200 cfs per day as soon as the downstream river stages have peaked, Bergquist said. The current plan is to release 300 cfs from Pipestem Dam and 900 cfs from Jamestown Dam for a combined total of 1,200 cfs. If more than average rainfall is received upstream of the two dams, it is possible that the release rate from the two dams may need to increase, Bergquist said.

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