OMAHA, NE - In anticipation of forecast rainfall today, releases from Chatfield and Bear Creek Dams will be reduced to mitigate flood risk in the Denver area.
Releases from Chatfield Dam were reduced from 2700 cubic feet per second to 2200 cfs on June 10 and will drop to 1600 cfs this morning. This afternoon, releases will be set at 1000 cfs. The pool elevation was 5435.9 feet on June 10 with 2.9 percent of the flood pool occupied, but has since risen slightly due to last night’s rain. Reducing releases will cause a slight rise in pool elevation. Releases will be increased to match inflows as early as Friday, likely in the 2700 cfs range.
At Bear Creek Dam, releases will be reduced from 500 cfs to 200 cfs this afternoon. The pool elevation on June 10 was 5592 feet with 23 percent of the flood pool occupied. The reduced releases will cause a slight rise in pool elevation at Bear Creek Reservoir. Releases will be increased to 500 cfs to continue evacuating flood storage from the reservoir as early as Friday.
At Cherry Creek Dam, releases remain unchanged at 50 cfs.
Combined releases from the Tri-Lakes Dams will be decreased to 1250 cfs by this afternoon (reducing releases by a cumulative 2000 cfs).
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in coordination with the State of Colorado continues to monitor upstream and downstream conditions and will adjust releases based on those conditions.
The three Denver-area dams operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District are referred to as the Tri-Lakes Projects are Chatfield, Cherry Creek, and Bear Creek Dams. The Tri-Lakes Dams are managed as a system to capture runoff and make releases to mitigate flooding risks in the Denver area. The Omaha District routinely conducts inspections and monitors all three projects as a part of its Dam Safety Program. Surveillance frequencies are increased during periods of higher pools. All three projects are performing satisfactorily with no significant dam safety issues resulting from the recent rains and snowmelt runoff.
Pool elevation graphs for the Tri-Lakes Dams can be found online at http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/DamandLakeProjects/TriLakesProjects.aspx
Pool elevation data for these and other Corps-operated dams, updated hourly, can be tracked online at http://www.nwd-mr.usace.army.mil/rcc/plots/plots.html#omaha_plots.
Public safety is a priority and the public is urged to rely on local emergency management officials for guidance regarding the flood response.