FORT WORTH, Texas – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, will increase releases from the Sam Rayburn Dam today, with power generation releases 24 hours per day, and flood gate releases until further notice.
The Corps made its decision following careful evaluation based on current lake levels and receding flows along the Neches River.
“The increase in the releases from Sam Rayburn Dam is necessary to lower the lake level to its conservation pool, of 164.4 feet as quickly as practical in order to regain flood storage for potential future storms,” said hydraulic engineer, John Rael.
Releases will be regulated to manage flows to 20,000 cubic feet per second on the Neches River below B.A. Steinhagen Lake. The releases will begin around noon with a total release of about 6,000 cubic feet per second. Releases will increase from Sam Rayburn Dam as the flow on the Neches River decreases and allows for additional water.
“The combined releases from Sam Rayburn Power Plant and flood gates will not exceed 15,000 cubic feet per second, which would be similar to releases made during Mid-April this year,” said Bart Dearborn, Sam Rayburn lake manager.
Sam Rayburn Reservoir and Hydropower management, in coordination with Water Resources Management Branch engineers, will continue to monitor forecasted rainfall, lake elevations, and upper watershed runoff for any potential changes in flood releases.
“We will notify downstream Emergency Management officials as stated in our Emergency Action Plans if we need to make releases greater than downstream channel capacity,” said Dearborn.
Latest lake levels and water release information may be viewed at http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/cgi-bin/rcshtml.pl?page=Reports&report=fish, facility closure report may be viewed at http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/drought/drought.htm and the National Weather Service River Forecast Center downstream gage forecasts may be viewed at http://www.srh.noaa.gov/wgrfc/.
For additional information about our lake operations, please call the Sam Rayburn Reservoir Project Office at 409-384-5716 or the Fort Worth District’s Public Affairs Office at 817-886-1306.
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