OMAHA, NE – Heavy rain, which fell Thursday night, increased stages along Bear Creek, Cherry Creek, and the South Platte River downstream from the Tri-Lakes Dams.
Decreases in releases from Chatfield Dam on Wednesday and Thursday provided space for local runoff through the Denver Metro area for rain that fell downstream from the dam. Inflows to Chatfield have increased due to rainfall and snowmelt runoff and current inflows to the dam are 3,600 cubic feet per second. Continued high inflows due to mountain snowmelt runoff are expected over the next week. Releases will be held at 1000 cfs through the weekend and will be gradually increased next week as downstream flows recede.
Based on the current inflow forecast from the National Weather Service and current releases, the pool elevation forecast for Chatfield Reservoir is to reach 5448.1 feet with 14.7 percent of the flood pool occupied.
A decrease in releases from Bear Creek Dam on Thursday lowered stages along Bear Creek between the dam and the South Platte River, which helped make room for local rainfall runoff. Releases from Bear Creek Dam also remain at 200 cfs to allow flows on Bear Creek downstream of the dam to recede and will likely be increased on Saturday to 500 cfs. Based on the current inflow forecast from the NWS and scheduled releases, the pool elevation forecast for Bear Creek Reservoir is 5597.9 feet with 29.7 percent of the flood pool occupied.
Releases from Cherry Creek Dam will be held at 50 cfs today due to high flows on Cherry Creek between the dam and the South Platte River. Releases will likely be increased to 100 cfs tomorrow to allow for future flexibility for flood risk management at the dam.
Based on the current inflow forecast from the NWS and scheduled releases, the pool elevation forecast for Cherry Creek Reservoir is 5555.8 feet with 6.7 percent of the flood pool occupied.
Combined releases from the Tri-Lakes Dams are currently 1,250 cfs. Upstream and downstream conditions will continue to be monitored and, in coordination with the State of Colorado, releases will be increased 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.