Your PUD
News Release
Warning - spill to begin in Chelan River Gorge
Chelan County PUD
News Release
5/16/2005
Chelan County PUD will begin spilling water through the Chelan River Gorge late this week. The start of spill will be determined by when and how much more rain falls this week.
People are warned to stay out of the gorge.
Spill is necessary to regulate the level of Lake Chelan. As of Monday, May 16, the lake was at 1,098.8 feet above sea level. Under terms of its federal license to operate the Lake Chelan Hydro Project, the PUD is required to do its best to refill the lake to an elevation between 1,098 feet and 1,100 feet by June 30 and keep it there through Sept. 30.
Spill amounts this week are expected to be 500 to 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs).
This year’s April 1 runoff forecast for the Lake Chelan Basin was 38 percent of normal for the April – July time period. Due to the recent above-average precipitation, the runoff will be in the range of 50-55 percent of normal which is considerably higher than the April 1 forecast.
Usually, in the month of June when the flows peak, Northwest dams must spill water for headwater control. An early runoff combined with above-average precipitation will force spill for headwater control much earlier than in a normal year.
Both generating units at the Lake Chelan powerhouse are running round the clock.
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For more information contact Janet Jaspers, power resource analyst, at 661.4548
Kimberlee Craig
Public Information Officer
661.4320, direct line
679.6958, cell
kimc@chelanpud.org