Libby Dam water update - Dec. 11
by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Libby Dam
December 11, 2014
Current Koocanusa Reservoir elevation: 2426.4 feet
Current Koocanusa Reservoir inflow: ~5.5 kcfs
Current Libby Dam outflow: 25 kcfs
Current Kootenai River elevation at Bonners Ferry: 1754.1 feet
The current outflow from Libby Dam is 25 kcfs. Outflow will decrease to 20 kcfs over two hours beginning at 2200 MST Thursday, 11 December, and then increase back to 25 kcfs at 0700 MST Friday, 12 December. The decrease to 20 kcfs will repeat beginning at 2200 MST Friday night and that flow will be held through the weekend. At 0700 MST on Monday morning, 15 December, outflow will increase to 26.5 kcfs and held at that flow through next week.
Libby Dam is currently drafting the reservoir to provide flood storage space for next spring. The April-August inflow forecast is 6903 KAF, which is 117 percent of the 1981-2010 average. This forecast sets the end of December flood risk management elevation to 2411 feet.
The Northwest River Forecast Center creates daily forecasts for short term projections throughout the Kootenai and Columbia River Basins. These forecasts may be updated multiple times in a day and as conditions change. Links to those forecasts can be found below.
Short term forecasts for Libby Dam elevations and inflows:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?lid=LYDM8
Short term forecasts for Libby Dam outflow:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?lid=KBDM8
Additionally, projected inflows and reservoir operations at Libby Dam through next summer can be found here:
http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/About/Offices/Engineering/HydraulicsandHydrology/OperationalProjections.aspx
These modeling results are updated at least monthly and include information on elevations, inflow, and outflow:
Page 1 shows Lake Koocanusa elevation probabilities through next summer
Page 2 shows Libby Dam inflow probabilities through next summer
Page 3 shows Libby Dam outflow probabilities through the summer
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