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- Rain in Lower Colorado River Basin Forces Cutback in Releases from Davis, Parker Dams
News Release Archive
Rain in Lower Colorado River Basin Forces Cutback in Releases from Davis, Parker Dams
Media Contact:
Robert Walsh, 702-293-8421, 01/06/2005 22:55
For Release: January 06, 2005
Recent rain storms in southern California and Arizona have caused reductions in the amount of water the Bureau of Reclamation will be releasing from Davis and Parker Dams on the lower Colorado River.
At Parker Dam, north of Parker, Arizona, releases have been reduced to approximately 2,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). This level of release is expected to continue at least through the weekend.
Releases at Davis Dam, north of Laughlin, Nevada, will be reduced to approximately 2,300 cfs beginning at midnight Jan. 7 and continuing through midnight Jan. 15. This action is in response to the high inflow into Lake Havasu from the Bill Williams River, which enters the Colorado River just south of Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Consequently, less water is needed from Davis Dam to maintain the water level at Lake Havasu.
The high inflow from the Bill Williams River is primarily due to flood control releases from the Corps of Engineers' Alamo Dam. There is a possibility that additional releases will be required based on rainfall projections from Pacific storms forecasted for this weekend.
Due to the existing drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin, Reclamation is attempting to conserve as much water in the river's storage system as possible. The temporary reduction in releases at Davis Dam will help accomplish this by reducing the potential for water releases in excess of downstream water orders.
Daily and hourly information on releases from Reclamation's Colorado River dams is available on Reclamation's web site, at http://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html.
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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.
