News Release from Corps of Engineers, previously announced decreases to releases from Jamestown and Pipestem Dams have been delayed. Additional data and updated air temperature forecasts have extended the date river ice downstream of Jamestown and Pipestem Reservoirs is expected to start forming, allowing the Corps to release more flood water before winter. The current combined release rate will remain at 2,400 cubic feet per second until river ice is forecasted to form..  River ice forecasts are being continuously updated.

Mayor Heinrich on Wayne Byers Show Mon – Water Release Update

To mitigate the risk of freeze-up ice jams or other ice-related flooding, the target combined release rate before ice-in is 800 cfs .

Updated reservoir forecasts indicate combined winter releases are not expected to exceed 750 cfs; however, additional precipitation, earlier than expected ice-over on the river, or higher than expected baseflow could necessitate higher release levels.  Ice conditions in the entire James River basin will be continually evaluated throughout the winter.  The Corps of Engineers will operate to minimize the risk of ice-related flooding, and adjustments to the releases will be made as needed.

On Monday, Jamestown Dam was at a pool elevation of 1441.7 ft, about 30% into the flood pool, and rising.  Inflows into the reservoir peaked on October 30 and are dropping, currently near 1,900 cfs.  Reservoir releases are 1,200 cfs.

Pipestem Dam is currently at a pool elevation of 1473.2 ft, about 40% into the flood pool, and dropping.  The pool elevation peaked on October 29 at 1475.0 ft, which was 43% into the flood pool.  Inflows are near 650 cfs, and releases are 1,200 cfs.

The Corps of Engineers is coordinating with relevant agencies in North and South Dakota.

Previously…

Jamestown (USACE)  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to delay the ramping down of the combined releases from Jamestown and Pipestem Dams, of 2400 cfs. is now to start on Nov 10 or 11.

Jamestown Mayor Dwaine Heinrich on Monday’s Wayne Byers Show on CSi Cable 2, said the Corps notified him and other city officials that the ramping down of the combined releases is because the anticipated freeze up date has been moved from Nov 11, to November 19.

He said the releases will be incrementally ramped DOWN by 100 cfs per day from both dams, until a release of 1400 cfs is reached by freeze up.

The release for winter flow under the ice cover is still expected to be 800 cfs.

Jamestown  (USACE)   The US Army Corps of Engineers will be stepping DOWN releases from Jamestown and Pipestem Dams by 200 cfs per day with the target combine release rate of 800 cfs  achieved by November 10, 2019.   News Release

The Corps reports that with below normal temperatures observed and forecast in Jamestown, river ice downstream of Jamestown and Pipestem Reservoirs could form as soon as November 11.

To mitigate the risk of freeze up ice jams or other ice related flooding, the target combined release rate before “ice-in,” is 800 cfs.

The dates release decreases are:

Jamestown Dam   Pipestem Dam   Total Combined

Sun Nov 3                     1100 cfs                      1100 cfs             2200 cfs

Mon Nov 4                    1000 cfs                     1000 cfs            2000 cfs

Tues Nov 5                     900 cfs                       900 cfs             1800 cfs

Wed Nov 6                     800 cfs                       800 cfs             1600 cfs

Thur Nov 7                     700 cfs                        700 cfs             1400 cfs

Fri Nov 8                        600 cfs                        600 cfs             1200 cfs

Sat Nov 9                        500 cfs                        500 cfs             1000 cfs

Sun Nov 10                     400 cfs                       400 cfs               800 cfs

River ice forecasts will be continuously updated during this time.

River ice forecasts will be continuously updated during this time.  If conditions change and the forecast ice-in date shifts, combined releases will be held at 1400 cfs until three days before the new ice-in date.

Combined winter releases are not expected to exceed 850 cfs, however, additional precipitation or higher than expected baseflow could necessitate higher release levels.  Ice conditions in the entire James River basin will be continually evaluated throughout the winter.  The Corps of Engineers will operate to minimize the risk of ice related flooding and adjustments to the releases will be made as needed.

On Friday, the Jamestown Dam is at a pool level of 1441.0 feet, over 25 percent into the flood pool, and rising.  Inflows to into the reservoir peaked October 30, 2019, and are dropping, currently near 2100 cfs.  Reservoir releases on Friday are 1200 cfs.

Pipestem Dam on Friday currently at a pool elevation of 1474.1 feet, about 41 percent into the flood pool, and dropping.  The pool elevation peaked on October 29, at 1475.0 feet, which was 43 percent into the flood pool.  Inflows are holding steady near 800 cfs, and releases are 1200 cfs.

The Corps of Engineers is coordinating with the relevant agencies in North and South Dakota.

 

Previously…

Jamestown  (CSi)  Residents received an update Tuesday evening concerning water releases from Jamestown and Pipestem Dams, along with learning the effect on the reservoir ice cover, stemming from winter releases.  The meeting at the Civic Center was recorded by CSi TV 10 The Replay Channel for replay to be announced.

Presentations were made by Travis Dillman and Darrell Horunbuckle from Interstate Engineering. Also speaking were Stutsman County Emergency Manager, Jerry Bergquist, along with Allen Schlag from the National  Weather Service, and John Bertino and Matt Nelson from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha Office.

Also on hand was Todd Lindquist from Corps of Engineers, and Darrin Goetzfried with the Bureau of Reclamation.

Jamestown City council members were in attendance at this meeting and Stutsman County Commission members.

The current releases from the two dams was also updated, and the present James River Level in Jamestown.

Bertino the Chief Engineer, and Safety Officer with the Corps said both Jamestown and Pipestem Dams are under surveillance, with data being recorded, and said both reservoirs are operating as expected.

Matt Nelson with the Corps said, on October 27th this year Jamestown Reservoir had a peak inflow of 3500 cfs and Pipestem Reservoir with a peak inflow of 1300 cfs which is now dropping, with 43-percent of the flood storage capacity occupied.  He added with the soil soaked with moisture now, additional runoff will not soak into the soil and will go into the reservoirs.

The latest data shows the inflows at Jamestown Reservoir are forecast to continue another two weeks before reaching the peak water level.  Pipestem Reservoir’s pool is now cresting, and then expected is a slow drop in the water level.

Nelson pointed out that with the present 2400 cfs combined releases the reservoirs are anticipated to reach the normal freeze up level, for flood storage capacity by late February.

When the reservoirs ice up, the combined releases will be lowered to 800 cfs, as the winter release.  Following that, as spring approaches, it’s expected the releases will be ramped up.

Both reservoirs will be monitored all winter.

With dangerous winter ice conditions on both reservoirs ice covers, Lindquist said with  the high releases there will be ice sheets, that will buckle, and contain hollow areas under the ice cover, and will be extremely dangerous  to even walk on.

Stutsman County Sheriff, Chad Kaiser said, all public access to the reservoirs will be blocked, adding that no law enforcement of fire department staff will risk its personnel to rescue those who may become stranded, if they wander onto the ice cover.  In most cases those individuals will lose their lives.  The same scenario for ice cover on the James River.

Alan Schlag added that ice will reduce the river channel capacity and decrease the river’s storage capacity, saying the type of ice formed with flows all winter will be chunky and ice jams will form differently from this type of ice.

Nelson said that the increase in inflows stem from rainfall between September 20 and October 20 this year at over 10 inches falling into the basin upstream, with the normal amount at an inch to one and a half inches.  It was the wettest September on record, and the second wettest period from August through October this year, with twice the normal rainfall amounts.

The long range forecast through this winter calls for  equal chances of above normal, normal, or below normal temperatures, with above normal precipitation, wetter than normal.

Travis Dillman said 10 storm sewer drains in Jamestown have been plugged, with water being pumped back into the river.  Four areas have been sandbagged along the river, as the current river level is expected to hold.   He pointed out that the sanitary sewer lift station is pumping four times the normal amount.

Previously reported….

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Omaha District and The Bureau of Reclamation are notifying the public of the expected hazardous and constantly unstable winter ice condition on Pipestem Reservoir and Jamestown Reservoir in the coming winter months.

Due to unseasonably wet conditions, water releases will be made from both the Pipestem Dam and Jamestown Dam throughout the winter.

Once the Reservoirs have iced-over, changing water elevations and increased water releases throughout the winter will create dangerous areas of thin ice creating unsafe conditions for individuals recreating on Pipestem Reservoir and Jamestown Reservoirs. These fluctuating water elevations change ice conditions without prior warning, as it will leave large voids between the ice and the water surface creating extremely dangerous ice conditions.

Stutsman County Sheriff, Chad Kaiser has issued a statement, advising that  access to the Reservoirs will be restricted and recreational activities will be prohibited due to the anticipated dangerous ice conditions.

Previously…

Travis Dillman said on Thursday Morning the Release from Pipestem Dam was increased by another 100 cfs, at 8:30-a.m., and another 100 cfs increase on Friday and another 100 cfs increase on Saturday, for a combined release of 2400.  He said the present flood mitigation measures should be adequate to hold the combined 2400 cfs release.

He said when winter freeze up occurs, the releases will be decreased, based on the ice formation on the reservoirs.