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FINAL: Revised 26 March 2008
Francis E. Walter
Reservoir Recreation Operations Plan for 2008
Introduction
The plan for 2008 will be substantially different
from that of 2007. While the 2007 plan was able to satisfy many
of the water needs, modifications are being made to improve likelihood
of recreational releases in the May-June timeframe while holding
the 5 foot pool fluctuation limit. Water is being allocated to
insure early season (July and August) white water recreational
releases while relying on seasonal precipitation and additional
water accumulations to allow scheduling of the events planned
for later in the season (September). Water is also being reserved
to insure the ability to make the augmentation releases for fisheries
throughout the entire recreation season. Other small modifications
as well as changes to October operations are also planned.
Planned white water release dates are listed below:
May: 10, 24, 25 (no release on Mothers Day, 11
May)
June: 7, 8, 21, 22
July: 5, 6, 19, 20
August: 2, 3, 16, 17, 30, 31
September: 13, 14, 27*, 28*
*The 27-28 September dates are planned but will
only be scheduled if precipitation and
additional water accumulation occurs during the recreation season.
October**: 10, 11, 12
**The October dates will only occur if sufficient
water remains. Release dates of 11 and 12 October take precedence
over 10 October.
Total: 24 white water release dates planned, late
season events are dependent upon additional water storage.
Except for the dates listed above, daily augmentation
releases of up to 50 cfs for fisheries enhancement will be made
throughout the recreation season. Details of planned operations
are outlined below.
Initial Filling:
For the 2008 season, the maximum storage level
will be increased to elevation 1370, five feet higher than in
2007. On or before 1 April 2008 storage will be initiated at F.
E. Walter Dam. The exact date that storage is initiated will be
determined by the Corps of Engineers based on basin hydrologic
conditions at the time. Storage could start earlier if precipitation
raises the pool above elevation 1300. During this period outflows
will be limited to 250 cfs on weekdays and during weekends the
outflow will normally be set equal to inflow up to a maximum release
rate of 1000 cfs. The weekend limit could be lowered to 750 cfs
and the weekday limit lowered to 225 cfs if hydrologic conditions
were such that reaching the target level of 1370 by 10 May 2008
was determined to be in jeopardy. The storage of excess inflows
will continue until the pool reaches the elevation of 1370. Once
pool level reaches 1370, outflow will match inflow until the start
of the recreation season (10 May). The pool elevation of 1370
is expected to be reached no
later than Friday 9 May 2008, in time for the first planned white
water release to begin on Saturday 10 May 2008.
NOTE: The storage level of 1370 was actually attained
after a storm event in early March. Rather then release that volume
and then start to refill in April, it was decided through coordination
with the participating agencies to hold the storage that had been
accumulated. Since the pool is currently at elevation 1370, outflow
will now generally match inflow until the start of the recreation
season on 10 May 2008.
Special
operations will prevail for the first two weekends of trout season
(12-13 April and 19-20 April). Releases will be restricted to
400 cfs for these two weekends. This restriction is consistent
with DCNR restrictions placed on commercial boaters in the upper
reaches of the Lehigh River from White Haven to Rockport. This
may result in a pool level above elevation 1370 for brief periods.
Pool elevations above elevation 1370 at any time
are generally considered undesirable encroachments into flood
control storage and will normally be evacuated as quickly as possible
in accordance with the Corps’ F.E. Walter Reservoir Water
Control Manual. If weather forecasts are favorable, the encroachment
into flood control storage may be retained for brief periods to
support planned recreational opportunities. The Corps of Engineers
will be solely responsible for making this determination. As in
previous years, flood control objectives take priority and if
necessary any of the storage above elevation 1300 could be released
if deemed necessary by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers.
10 May- 30 June
White water weekend events are planned for every
other weekend starting on May 10th. No white water release is
planned for Mother’s Day, 11 May. As in previous years, the
planned releases will be made for 12 hour periods from 1AM until
1 PM on Saturday then from 1 AM until 1 PM on Sunday provided
sufficient water is available.
The pool elevation will be maintained between
elevations 1365 and 1370 from 10 May through 30 June. This is
raised 5 feet over last year’s level in an attempt to help
improve likelihood of making all planned releases in May and June.
Raising the pool by 5 feet adds a total
of 1403 DSF of storage and increases the storage volume within
the 5 foot pool limitation by 60 DSF. The 5 foot pool limit is
intended to help conserve cooler water for later in the season,
and to help in-lake fish spawning. As noted before, a pool level
above elevation 1370 is an undesirable encroachment into flood
control storage which will normally be evacuated as quickly as
possible. After pool elevation of 1370 is reached, weekday releases
for fisheries enhancement after 11 May will be 200 cfs and will
be in the 200-250 cfs range in June. Weekend white water recreation
releases during this period will be made as long as sufficient
storage exists above elevation 1365 with a release target of 800
cfs in May and 750 cfs in June. Tables1 and 2 provide priorities
for determining the length and magnitude of white water recreation
releases to be made in May and June if storage is not sufficient
to make full releases for the 12 hour periods planned. Releases
for fisheries enhancement on weekends when white water releases
are not planned will be set to match inflow up to a maximum of
400 cfs during this period. If storage is not available above
elevation 1365, releases will be set equal to inflow to maintain
the 1365 elevation until 1 July. If necessary, cancellations or
modifications of white water release plans will be announced (posted
on Corps webpage) on the afternoon of the Wednesday before the
white water recreation weekend.
The raising of the pool by 5 feet to 1370, elimination
of the white water recreation release for 11 May, reduction in
weekend recreation release rates, and reduction of weekday release
rates are all aimed at preserving storage levels to allow accomplishment
of all purposes of the plan while limiting the pool to elevations
between 1370 and 1365 during this time period.
1 July- 31 August
Starting in July, there will no longer be any
specific flow targets or limits on pool levels. For this time
period, sufficient storage will be reserved to insure weekday
and nonrecreational weekend fisheries enhancement releases of
50 cfs above inflow, up to a total of 250 cfs. On white water
recreation weekends, for the 12 hour periods from 1AM until 1
PM on both Saturday and Sunday, releases will be set at inflow
plus 650 cfs up to a maximum of 750 cfs and held on each of the
planned weekends as long as storage permits. For the other 12
hour periods of the weekend, the release will revert to the fisheries
enhancement augmentation release of 50 cfs above inflow up to
250 cfs. Storage capacity at elevation 1365 at the end of June
is sufficient to make the planned white water weekend releases
through September 13-14 as well as the releases for fisheries
enhancement.
September As in the July-August timeframe, in
September storage sufficient to provide for a fisheries enhancement
release of 50 cfs above inflow (up to 250 cfs) will be reserved
to insure that the augmentation can be made during the entire
month. On the other hand, white water recreation releases planned
for late September require additional precipitation and water
accumulation during the recreation season to allow those to occur.
This is a significant change from the 2007 plan. The plan for
2008 recognizes that white water recreation
weekend releases in the July-August timeframe are more important
than the September releases and the fact that additional precipitation
is likely to allow at least some of the September events to be
added while still preserving storage to accomplish the weekday
fisheries enhancement augmentation of 50 cfs regardless of hydrologic
circumstances through September. If at any time precipitation
occurs to allow sufficient additional water to accumulate; planned
white water recreation releases will be scheduled. The volume
of accumulated water will be allocated evenly between recreational
releases and fisheries enhancement, and as precipitation dependent
release weekends are scheduled, fisheries enhancement releases
will be increased incrementally above the 50 cfs value for the
remainder of the recreation season as storage allows. Release
priorities for these September events are listed in Table 3. Final
release amounts and durations will be determined and posted on
the Corps webpage the Wednesday prior to the weekend. If sufficient
water is available, each scheduled white water event will be held
for both Saturday and Sunday at the full amount of 650 cfs plus
inflow (maximum release of 750 cfs) before subsequent planned
white water events will be scheduled. Additional weekend releases
will not be scheduled unless storage is sufficient to allow at
least a one day (12 hour) release of 600 cfs. As additional planned
events become possible due to accumulation of water, releases
will be scheduled and increased fisheries enhancement release
rates will be announced no later than the Wednesday before the
planned white water release date.
Following this procedure
may mean that events are scheduled or modified with little advance
notice.
October
At the end of the recreation season, if sufficient
water still remains above elevation 1300, the planned white water
releases for 11-12 October will be scheduled. Releases for that
weekend will be for the usual 12 hour period and range between
750 and 1200 cfs. Weekday releases in October leading up to the
final event will not be less than 144 cfs. Target releases for
the remaining weekends in October (4, 5, 18, 19, 25 and 26 October)
will range between 350-400 cfs.
.
If more than sufficient water remains for what is needed to accomplish
the above, a final weekday release will be scheduled for Friday,
10 October 2008. This release is the last increment of the 2008
recreation plan and is primarily intended to return the pool to
its normal elevation of 1300. The scheduling of this release will
allow those interested in larger white water recreation releases
to plan accordingly. The release rate will be based on the amount
of water available. Release will be set at a maximum of 4000 cfs.
Final scheduling and amount of this release will be determined
and posted on Wednesday, 8 October 2008.
Due to operational difficulties experienced in
2007 with the existing bypass system, it will not be available
for use this year. All releases will be made from the flood control
gates. It is expected that the bypass valves will be replaced
after the conclusion of this
year’s recreation season and will be available for use in
2009.
A plot comparing the 2007 plan with the 2008 plan
assuming no additional water is accumulated over the season to
provide additional releases is provided as Figure 1.
Table 1
May Release Rate Priority
Maximum release 800cfs in May
Table 2
June Release Rate Priority
Maximum release 750 cfs in June
Table 3
September Release Rate Priority
Maximum release rate will be set at inflow plus 750 cfs up to
1000 cfs
Final version 1 February 2008
Figure 1
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