|
December 10, 2002 Representatives from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, PPL Montana, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Senator Burns' office met by conference call to discuss the projected operation of the Kerr Project. The outflow is currently at 10,500 cubic feet per second (cfs) in order to draft to an elevation of 2888.0 feet by the end of December. The current lake elevation, as of December 9, 2002, was 2890.22 feet, which is 2.78 feet from full elevation of 2893.0 feet. The project is being operated conservatively from a water availability concern based on the lack of precipitation and snowpack accumulation and the low streamflows for October and November. Precipitation for Kalispell for the current water year that started in October is .81 inches compared to a normal of 2.41 inches. The snowpack for the Flathead drainage, as a percent of average for this time of year, is only about 50%. The 2002 October and November actual inflows were 62% and 69% of average respectively. The natural flows (Hungry Horse Reservoir storage effects removed) were 45% and 46% of normal respectively for October and November. Based on this data, the conditions are slightly worse this year than experienced for the same months in 2000 leading into the drought of 2001. The natural flows for October and November of 2000 were 81% and 43% of average respectively. In March 2002, PPL Montana filed a drought management plan (DMP) with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior (Interior) for her approval. Interior is currently conducting an environmental review of PPL Montana's proposal and considering alternatives. A final DMP will not be in place before the 2003 season. In the interim, PPL Montana is operating the project consistent with its DMP proposal. The first official runoff forecast will become available early in January 2003. The January formal forecast will be evaluated to determine further appropriate plans for further lake drafts through January with regard to flood control, lake refill and minimum flow release requirements. There is a high probability that the lake will not be drafted below elevation 2888.0 feet during this winter consistent with PPLM's DMP proposal and the low infolws and dry developing conditions of October and November. For more information, contact Lance Elias, PPL Montana at 406-533-3510.
15 November 2002 Kerr Hydroelectric Project Operation for Flathead Lake Representatives from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, PPL Montana, US Army Corps of Engineeers, and Senator Burn's office met by conference call to discuss the November and December projected operation of the Kerr Project. The outflows have been increased over the last several days to approximately 9,500 cubic feet per second (CFS) and Flathead Lake elevation, as of November 13, 2002, was 2892.32 feet which is 0.68 feet from full elevation of 2893.0 feet. Subject to regional planning influences, weather, or upstream regulation, PPL Montana plans to maintain the 9,500 cfs through December. Flathead Lake is targeted to be at elevation 2890.8 feet by the end of November and at approximately 2888.0 feet by the end of December. For more information, contact Lance Elias, PPL Montana at 406-533-3510.
18 June 2002 The threat of flooding from a late runoff continues. At the direction of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, PPL Montana, the operator of Kerr Dam, is spilling water from Kerr so that Flathead Lake has the capacity to absorb the extra runoff without rising above the authorized full pool elevation of 2893 feet above mean sea level. PPL MT issued the following statement: Kerr Hydroelectric Project Updated Operation For Flathead Lake And Flathead River. Flathead Lake elevation, as of noon on June 18, 2002, was 2891.76 feet which is 1.24 feet from full elevation of 2893.0 feet. The current outflow is approximately 36,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). Operations during the first half of June have been under the provisions of the FERC license that prescribe flood control as the operational priority. Article 43 of the license calls for the lake to be filled by June 15th unless the potential for flooding still exists. The responsibility for determining the potential for flooding is under the authority of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE). As required by the license, PPL Montana works closely with the USCOE during the flood season in a cooperative effort to prevent flooding. The USCOE has determined that the recent snow and rain followed by high temperatures has the potential to cause flooding in and along the river above Flathead Lake. In fact, a spike in the flows in the Flathed River above Flahtead Lake has been experienced the past few days. Reduction in releases from Hungry Horse and not having Flathead Lake full allowed the project to manage the spike in the flows without any flooding reported along the river. At present, the potential for flooding and the inflows are both decreasing, which will permit filling of the lake to resume. Contingent on weather and inflow patterns over the next few days, the operation wll be adjusted to fill to an elevation 2892.5 feet (one-half foot from full pool) by the middle of next week. PPL Montana will continue to manage the refill of Flathead Lake in cooperation with the USCOE for flood prevention and, as a requirement of the license, will make operational changes necessary, if any, to comply with the USCOE flood control requests. For more information, contact Lance Elias, PPL Montana at 406-533-3510.
Top of page.
14 June 2002 PPL Montana, operator of Kerr Dam, today released the following statement: On June 12, 2002, officials from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, PPL Montana, Bureau of Indian Affairs, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Bureau of Reclamation and Senator Burns office met by conference call to discuss the June operation of the Kerr Project. Flathead Lake elevation, as of June 11, 2002 was 2891.74 feet which is 1.26 feet from full elevation of 2893.0 feet. The current outflow is approximately 45,000 cubic feet per second (CFS). The June final volume runoff forecast published by the Natural Resources Conservation Service for the Flathead Lake inflow volume for the June-July period is 121% of normal, which is fourteen percent higher than the May final forecast. Operations during the second half of May and into June have been under the flood control provisions of the FERC license. The recent snow and rain combined with the current above average runoff forecast will keep the operation of the Kerr Project under the flood control provisions. For the near future, the lake will not be filled to full pool until the potential of flooding has passed and the inflows start to decrease. The warming temperatures projected for the end of this week and this weekend are expected to cause the inflows to increase. The latest forecast from the River Forecast Center in Portland, OR predicts the inflows for the next several days approaching 52,000 cfs. Most of the increased runoff will be passed thorugh the project and once these high inflows subside, the lake can be brought to full pool. It is anticipated that full pool will occur by the end of June. For more information, contact Lance Elias, PPL Montana at 406-533-3510.
Top of page.
On 17 May, PPL Montana released the following statement: The current forecast for the Kerr Project maintains the projection of adequate runoff volume into the system to meet the license conditions for flow releases and to refill Flathead Lake in June. The cooler spring temperatures have caused the runoff timing from snow melt to be substantially later than normal. Refilling the lake during June will be continually monitored to avoid flood potential from late, high volume runoff. The project is releasing the license minimum stream flow and with the current runoff pattern should fill to elevation 2889.0 feet by the end of May and to full pool in June. Flathead Lake elevation, as of May 16, 2002, was 2886.28 feet which is 6.72 feet from full elevation of 2893.0 feet. The current outflow is approximately 12,700 cubic feet per second (cfs). The May final volume runoff forecaset publicized by the Natural Resources Conservation Service for the Flathead Lake inflow volume for the May-July period is 107% of normal, which is eleven percentage points higher than the March final forecast. On May 17, 2002, officials from the Tribes, PPL Montana, Bureau of Indian Affairs, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Bureau of Reclamation, met by conference call to discuss this May operation of the Kerr Project. For more information, contact Lance Elias, PPL Montana at 406-533-3510.
Top of page. |
