Corps announces plan to reduce releases

Talk about it

Army Corps of Engineers officials released the plan for reducing the releases from the Jamestown and Pipestem dams Tuesday. Full details of the plan are likely to be discussed during the interagency meeting concerning the high water releases today.

“The long-term release plan allows people in Jamestown and downstream to return their lives to normal as quickly and safely as possible,” said Col. David Press, Omaha district commander in a press release. “Many have suffered a great deal and their courage and strength have been an inspiration.”

The news release said releases from Pipestem Dam were to be reduced 100 cubic feet per second Tuesday with an additional 100 cfs reduction every other day.

Releases from Jamestown Dam are slated to decrease effective May 25 and will also follow the every other day schedule. Reductions will follow that schedule until the Pipestem Dam is releasing 600 cfs and the Jamestown Dam 1,200 cfs for a combined release of 1,800 cfs in mid-June.

Press said the reductions are done in stages to minimize damage to levees and erosion of the river banks. He also said the lower releases should begin lowering groundwater levels and reduce downstream flooding while providing protection for Jamestown and other down river communities in the event of a serious rain storm.

“It is imperative that reservoir levels be lowered enough to enable them to capture the water from a 100-year rainstorm without resulting in spillway flows,” Press said in the news release.

Releases are anticipated to be maintained at the combined level of 1,800 cfs until early July.

The corps estimates Jamestown could have incurred as much as $70 million in flood damages if the two dams had not been in place.

Sun reporter Keith Norman can be reached at (701) 952-8452 or by e-mail at knorman@jamestownsun.com

Tags: local news, army corps, news, jamestown, pipestem, reservoir, dam, water, releases, flood