Your PUD
Lake Chelan Lake Levels
Under the terms of its federal license, Chelan County PUD shall make a reasonable effort to comply with the lake level management practices defined in the Lake Level Plan in Settlement Agreement License Article 405.
Actual lake elevations may vary significantly from expected averages during drawdown and refill periods. Many factors affect lake level including precipitation, temperature, snowpack conditions, and the amount and timing of spring runoff, as well as compliance with the hydro project’s federal operating license and environmental objectives. In addition, there is the goal to meet target lake elevations May through October.
Future Operations
The level of Lake Chelan is expected to be at least a foot higher than usual through November and December. This is due to reduced capacity that occurred during modernization work on the first of two generating units at the Chelan Falls Powerhouse. Modernization work on the first unit has been completed, and the new unit is in a trial operation period.
Beginning in December 2009, the second of two generating units is expected to be removed from service for modernization, and generating capacity will again be reduced through March 2010, slowing the rate that Lake Chelan is lowered during the winter.
Water from the dam is now flowing through the Chelan River gorge to meet terms of the new operating license. At least 80 cubic feet per second of water will flow through Reaches 1-3 of the gorge year round. The Reach 4 Pump Station is currently operating, and providing a minimum flow of 240 cfs into the top of Reach 4. With flow from Reaches 1-3, a total Reach 4 flow of at least 320 cfs is planned to continue through November 30. On December 1 the Pump Station is planned to be turned off, and 80 cfs minimum flow will continue through Reaches 1-4.
Friday, November 20, 2009 02:34 PM: 1096.47 feet above sea level
For the 10 days ending 11/19/2009, the daily lake elevation (in feet) has been:
| Date | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 10 | 1096.83 | 0.03 |
| Nov 11 | 1096.87 | 0.04 |
| Nov 12 | 1096.76 | -0.11 |
| Nov 13 | 1096.75 | -0.01 |
| Nov 14 | 1096.64 | -0.11 |
| Nov 15 | 1096.54 | -0.10 |
| Nov 16 | 1096.5 | -0.04 |
| Nov 17 | 1096.49 | -0.01 |
| Nov 18 | 1096.48 | -0.01 |
| Nov 19 | 1096.49 | 0.01 |
To see data points, first click on the chart and then hover over a spot on the line.
You can also view larger versions of this chart or a year-to-date chart.