February 2012 Libby water supply forecast
by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
February 6, 2012
The April-August water inflow forecast is 5,713 KAF, which is 97 percent of the 1975-2009 average. The flood control space requirement on 29 February is 1,298 KAF, or elevation 2,429.2 feet. The current elevation of Lake Koocanusa is 2,410.2 feet.
Click on this link for the February 2012 Libby Water Supply Forecast for Runoff and Flood Control calculations (PDF)
Current Koocanusa Reservoir inflow is ~3 kcfs.
Current Libby Dam outflow is 4 kcfs.
The outflow of 4 kcfs, the minimum allowable release from Libby dam, will be held until further notice.
The February update to the water supply forecast was for an April-to-August Libby inflow volume of 5713 KAF, which is 97% of the 1975-2009 average. This corresponds to a 29 February flood control elevation target of 2429.2 feet. As we are already below this maximum allowable end-of-month elevation, we will continue to release the minimum flow of 4 kcfs to conserve as much water as possible.
Current Koocanusa Reservoir elevation is 2410.0 feet.
The Northwest River Forecast Center creates daily forecasts for short term projections throughout the Kootenai and Columbia River Basins. These forecasts can be updated multiple times in a day and can be updated at anytime as conditions change. Links to those projections can be found below:
Short term forecasts for Libby Dam elevations and inflows can be found here:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?lid=LYDM8
Short term forecasts for Libby Dam releases can be found here:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?lid=KBDM8
Short term forecasts for Bonners Ferry can be found here:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?lid=BFEI1
Please note the National Weather Service's disclaimer on forecasts after 3 days.
All forecasts and model projections are based on the best information at the current time, as the weather changes so will the short and long-term predictions.
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