Lake level set to rise, fall under flexible ops
<p>U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crew are wrapping up work on a shoreline stabilization project on the Pend Oreille River, which means Flexible Winter Power Operations can resume on Lake Pend Oreille. (Photo by CAMERON BARNES)</p>
SANDPOINT — The level of Lake Pend Oreille is expected to rise by a foot or more by March 14, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The corps is wrapping up work on a shoreline stabilization project on the Pend Oreille River, which means Flexible Winter Power Operations can resume on Lake Pend Oreille.
The Bonneville Power Administration is requesting that the lake be filled at a rate of about one-tenth of a foot per day. The corps did not disclose a target elevation for March 14, although it will be within the flexible ops rage of 2,051 feet and 2,056 feet above sea level as measured at the Hope gauge.
One-tenth of foot is equivalent to 1.2 inches.
“After this filling period we will work with BPA on potentially drafting the water out to elevation 2052 feet by the end of the month to help out with downstream power needs,” Joel Fenolio, the corps’ Upper Columbia senior water manager said in an email distributed on Thursday.
Releases at the Albeni Falls Dam are being held at 21,000 cubic feet per second. The outflow is slated to decrease to 18,000 cfs and then to 15,000 cfs by 9 a.m. today, according to Kristy Riley, a hydraulic engineer for the corps’ water management section in Seattle.
Work on the corps’ three-phase stabilization project is expected to end today.
The work is being done on the eastern outskirts of Priest River. Erosion from wave action caused incremental bank failure on the north side of the river. The work addresses 3,700 feet of shoreline in the Pend Oreille Wildlife Management Area, which will protect cultural resources and riparian habitat.
The flexible winter power operations, known as FWPO in regulatory jargon, allows the lake filled and drafted three times between 2,051-2,056 feet from January to March.
The operation creates additional power production opportunities, although it is wildly unpopular with waterfront landowners in Bonner County. There is concern fluctuating levels will hamper lake access, exacerbate erosion and cause damage to docks, water intakes and other infrastructure.