Corps seeks comments on draft Rogue water management plan

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comments on its draft plan for summer water management operations at its Rogue Basin dams.

The draft “Rogue River Basin Project Conservation Release Season Operating Plan” identifies flow requirements for the Rogue and Applegate rivers and storage needs at Lost Creek and Applegate reservoirs. It is available for review at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Locations/RogueRiver/LostCreek.aspx.

The Corps works with a variety of federal and state environmental protection, fish and wildlife, and water resource agencies to develop its annual May through October water management plan. Initial discussions start in February.

February’s discussions and recommendations are followed by preliminary reservoir refill projections in March, and then draft water release recommendations in April. The process is continually informed by snowpack and water supply forecasts.

Although the release plan is usually considered final in early June, it is continuously updated through the summer as conditions change.

Questions and comments about the draft plan should be directed by email to Rogue Basin Regulator Alan Donner at alan.d.donner@usace.army.mil.

William L. Jess and Applegate dams contribute to a water resource management system that provides flood damage reduction, fish and wildlife enhancement, irrigation, municipal and industrial water supply, power generation, water quality improvement and recreation on the Rogue and Applegate rivers.  For more information, visit http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil.