BOULDER CITY, Nev. -- With the Colorado River's April-July runoff into Lake Powell completed, the Bureau of Reclamation is projecting that the level of flows now occurring on the lower Colorado River from Hoover Dam to the U.S.-Mexico border are the highest expected for the remainder of 1997.
These flows are currently averaging 18,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) from Hoover Dam, 18,000 cfs from Davis Dam, and 16,000 cfs from Parker Dam. The peak daily release from Davis Dam is about 22,000 cfs, and the peak daily release from Parker Dam is about 18,200 cfs.
Releases will continue to be made at these levels until about mid-September. The releases are then projected to return to their historic mid-September levels of 11,000 to 12,000 cfs from Hoover Dam, 11,500 cfs from Davis Dam, and 8,000 to 9,500 cfs from Parker Dam. Releases will remain at those levels, or lower, throughout the fall, according to the Bureau.
Lake Mead is currently at about elevation 1204 (feet above sea level), and is projected to gradually rise to a 1997 elevation of 1210 by the end of December. Mohave Lake, behind Davis Dam, is currently at elevation 641.3. This reservoir is projected to drop to about elevation 630.5 by the end of October, then rise again to about elevation 638.7 by the end of December. Lake Havasu is now at elevation 447.9, and is projected to drop to elevation 445.8 by the end of December.
The current level of releases from the three dams began July 28. They are being made to create additional flood storage space in Lake Mead.
Reclamation is currently projecting a 70 percent likelihood that flood control releases of about 20,000 cfs from Hoover Dam will be required on the Lower Colorado River beginning in January 1998. Releasing more water now than is required to meet downstream needs reduces the likelihood that higher levels of flood control releases will be required in 1998.
However, a possibility of larger flood control releases does exist, depending on the size of next spring's runoff. As always, Reclamation encourages property owners with lands or facilities along the river between Davis Dam and the U.S.-Mexico border to be prepared in the event higher flows should occur.
Each Friday, the Bureau of Reclamation prepares a schedule projecting the
following week's average daily releases from Hoover, Davis, and Parker Dams,
as well as projected reservoir levels. This projected schedule is available
to anyone; to request it, call (702) 293-8419 or send an e-mail message to:
In addition, the projected schedule is posted on the World Wide Web each
Friday afternoon at www.lc.usbr.gov/~pao/rivops.html.
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