Dam releases working as planned

Combined releases of 2,400 cubic feet per second from local reservoirs are draining them on schedule, according to a press release from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Releases from Jamestown Dam are at 1,400 cfs while Pipestem Dam releases are at 1,000 cfs.

The water at Jamestown Dam was at 1,443.6 feet Tuesday and was dropping by 0.25 feet per day. The reservoir needs to be lowered by another 13.5 feet to reach its conservation pool.

The conservation pool is defined as the planned lake level for winter storage and the start of snowmelt runoff in the spring.

The water at Pipestem Dam was at 1,475.3 feet Tuesday and is dropping by 0.5 feet per day. The Pipestem needs to drop by 33 feet to reach its conservation pool.

The James River was measured at a stage of 12.9 feet Tuesday at the stream gauge near where the river crosses under Interstate 94. That level is nearly a foot about flood stage.

Corps officials anticipate both reservoirs will reach conservation pool by the middle of November if normal precipitation occurs.

Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at 701-52-8452 or by email at knorman@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, news, flood, dams