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Updates
August 31, 2013:
Update on repairs --
Work is also being done on the dam's massive flood control gates, all
28 of them. The gates have the capacity to release 660,000 cfs at
maximum operating pool of 1,854 feet. A record level of 1,854.8 feet
occurred in 1975. Lake Sakakawea reached 1,854.6 feet on July 1, 2011.
"The
gates had never been used prior to 2011," noted Lindquist. "We're
conducting testing to insure the welds and structural integrity of the
gates. We'll be painting them and replacing seals. Meanwhile, everything
remains operational."
Corps preparing for rest of summer, looking to 2012. High levels will persist; wet areas receding very slowly, and still huge amounts of water to pass through. July 29, 2011.
Leak in the Dike At Williston; Corps Closes Levee to the Public, June 1, 2011
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has restricted all public access to a seven-mile portion of the levee around Williston.
Corps officials said crews have been working to fix a small "boil", or leak in the levee as well as conduct inspections.
Wolf Point, Montana, to see flooding,
Billings Gazette, May 31, 2011.
In the middle of the worse flooding on the Missouri in its history, the US Army Corps of Engineers found time (May 31, 2011) to release
the results of this study:
The Army Corps of Engineers has released a final environmental study on the impact of building nesting habitat for endangered birds on the Missouri River.
Parts of the river between Fort Peck, Mont., and Sioux City, Iowa, are designated as critical habitat for the piping plover and interior least tern. Both species build nests on sandbars and sandy shoreline.
Something tells me the Corps releasing water from Ft Peck dam has inundated all those sandbars. May 31, 2011.
First time ever:
Corps Will Raise Spillway Gates at Garrison; Public Cleared Out, May 31, 2011
From a Bismarck resident, Sunday, May 30, 2011:
"...Many of the homes near the river are already 3 feet deep in water and they haven’t even started the really high water releases yet from the dam. They were releasing 12 cubic feet per second....today they are 120 cfs and will go to the max of 150 csf in a week. They are estimating about $300,000,000 worth of homes will be lost. They are also saying there will be water filling the basements for 2 months.......and the whole town could lose water and sewage (in 3 to 4 weeks). The National Guard is here plus about 8,000 to 10,000 people are volunteering with sandbagging, etc. They have moved a lot of the animals from the zoo....can’t move the big Kodiac bears as they are about 20 years old and would not survive the anesthetics. So, if it gets too bad they will destroy them. It is really sad here. Will likely hit the national news in a week or two when the pictures are more shocking..."
May 30, 2011:
South Dakota flooding due to release of water at Garrison Dam. Cities affected: Pierre, Yankton.
From Neil (again, not sure exactly when these numbers apply, due to fact, I got to e-mail late, and still catching up:
Fort Peck power house 10,000
Fort Peck spillway 40,000
Milk River 10,000
Yellowstone 75,000 - unsure if this will maintain.
Expected gauge at Culbertson after a few days 60,000-probably Sunday or so.
Expected gauge are Williston after a few days 135,000
I am also told that the Milk River watershed in Canada has seen some major rain and that might bump the Milk substantially during these high releases.
Sunday, May 29, 2011:
Corps to release more water at Garrison.
Neil sent this note, Saturday evening, May 28:
On Thursday Fort Peck will go to 50,000 cfs. With the Milk River and others the flow at Williston bridge will be 140,000 cfs.
Gregg sent this note, Saturday, May 28, 5:05 p.m.:
The corp of engineers,state,city, and county officials are having a briefing, 5:30 Bismarck time. KFYR radio will be broadcast it over the internet.
Its a real drama playing out down there.
http://www.kfyr.com/main.html
Original Post
For those interested in a "almost-instantaneous" information on water flowing into Sakakawea Lake (behind Garrison Dam, North Dakota) and water being released, this is some interesting information.
I have to thank "Don" for putting all this information together and sending it forward:
The total inflow to Garrison/Lake Sakakawea from these three (3) sources is (as I) type: 121,400 cubic feet per second.
The release is 90,000 cubic feet per second.
These flows will go up or down. But there is only 4 ft in the Lake Sakakawea before it breaches the spillway locks on the east side of Garrison Dam.
76,900 cft per sec from the Yellowstone River; 25,200 from the Missouri (Big MO), and 19,300 from the Little Missouri.
The Yellowstone River near Sidney, Montana:
BIG Missouri near Culbertson, Montana:
Little Missouri in Medora, North Dakota:
I cannot even imagine 30,000 cubic feet of water per second net inflow into the lake. Per second.
