News Release Archive

Reclamation to reduce releases from Davis Dam as part of a collaborative effort to decrease nuisance caddisfly population

Media Contact: Patti Aaron, 702-293-8189, paaron@usbr.gov
Doug Hendrix, 702-293-8391, dhendrix@usbr.gov

For Release: August 26, 2020

Boulder City, Nev. — On Thursday, August 27, and Thursday, September 10, the Bureau of Reclamation will reduce releases from Davis Dam in an attempt to decrease the local caddisfly population - following a request from the cities of Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona.

Reclamation agreed to reduce flows from the dam as part a pest abatement study being conducted by these communities to combat this nuisance species that typically emerges in its adult life-form in late-summer along the lower Colorado River, plaguing riverside businesses and visitors to the area.

Reclamation will reduce hourly releases at Davis Dam, to approximately 2,000 cubic feet per second beginning at 2:00 a.m. MST on both days for a 12-hour duration. During this time, the water levels below Davis Dam will drop, drying out the banks of the river channel in hopes of desiccating caddisfly larvae and pupae.

Riverfront residents and businesses are urged to take this opportunity to conduct dock and property maintenance. Recommended maintenance activities include scrubbing the hulls of boats, under docks, and portions of seawalls or other structures typically submerged under the one-unit water release line.

The decision to conduct these experiments was based on input and recommendations from a collaborative team of scientists, federal reservoir operators and the business community in Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona. The experiments are designed to maximize benefits to Colorado River communities, while taking into consideration water delivery requirements and impacts to hydropower production and local recreation.

Access to the Colorado River below Davis Dam will be limited and extra caution should be exercised while using the river during this time. All river users should be aware that these lower than normal river flows may expose or create natural hazards such as sandbars, gravel bars, unstable riverbanks, floating or submerged debris or other unfamiliar obstacles.

Planned operations may change depending on operational or environmental conditions. Daily and hourly information on releases from Reclamation's Colorado River dams is available on Reclamation's web site, at https://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html. Davis Dam and Parker Dam projected water release schedules can be found at: https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/DavisParkerSchedules.pdf.

# # #

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.