Upper Snake Water and Emergency Operations May 30

Upper Snake Water and Emergency Operations May 30, 2018

Bureau of Reclamation and Upper Snake Field Office Overview

Mission Statement: The Bureau of Reclamation’s mission is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.

Originally conceived under the Reclamation Act of 1902 as a means to help settle the West by providing infrastructure for agricultural development, the Reclamation program focused on the construction of dams and facilities to store and convey water. As the potential for additional project purposes was identified by the states and local entities, Congress supplemented the Reclamation Act to add hydropower production, flood control, municipal and industrial water, recreation and fish and wildlife enhancement to the list of authorized project purposes.

As the demand for water increases, Reclamation is improving its water management expertise and expanding partnerships with states, Indian tribes, local communities, and other Federal agencies to meet the increased demand for water. Existing projects are being modified to meet the changing needs and desires of society, to support economic development, to enhance environmental benefits, and to continue to ensure public safety.

Regional Offices

Snake River Area Office King Hill

Snake River Area Office: (Upper Snake Field Office and Middle Snake Field Office) • Manage 27 dams and reservoirs with a total active capacity of approximately 6. 8 million acre-feet (8 dams in upper Snake and 19 in Middle) • Provides water to 83, 000 farmers and more than 30, 000 farms • Six powerplants provide 821, 870 megawatt hours of electricity annually

Snake River Area Management Contacts: Snake River Area Office 230 Collins Road Boise, Idaho 83702 -4520 Roland Springer rspringer@usbr. gov Area Manager (208) 383 -2246 (Office) (208) 432 -2103 (Cell) Upper Snake Field Office 470 22 nd Street Heyburn, Idaho 83336 Ryan Newman rnewman@usbr. gov Assistant Area Manager (208) 678 -0461 x 34 (Office) (208) 670 -7791 (Cell) Middle Snake Field Office 230 Collins Road Boise, Idaho 83702 -4520 Lanie Paquin mpaquin@usbr. gov Deputy Area Manager (208) 383 -2251 (Office) (202) 603 -2120 (Cell)

Upper Snake Field Office - Introduction • 8 multipurpose dams and reservoirs • Water provided to 1. 2 million acres • 2 wildlife management areas • 3 hydroelectric powerplants – 204 MW capacity – Enough to power about 62, 000 homes

Hydromet Data: Stream, Reservoir and Weather usbr. gov/pn/hydromet/

Emergency Program Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Region: Rick Sego Middle Snake Field Office 230 Collins Road Boise, Idaho 83702 -4520 Rick Sego rsego@usbr. gov EAP Program Coordinator (208) 383 -2262 (Office) (208) 859 -4718 (Cell)

Water Operations Overview

What is the Hydrologic Data we look at to operate the dams?

Snow Water Equivalents

Jan 1 st through May 14 th % of Normal Precipitation

Inflow Forecasts:

Precipitation Forecasts and Outlooks

Temperature Forecasts and Outlooks as well

Snake River at Heise May 18 th Runoff Forecast: May 18 – July 31: 2. 5 MAF ~100% Coordinate our Streamflow Volume Forecasts with Army Corps of Engineers

Winter Base Flows

Comparison (Analog) Historic Years:

When Flood Operations Govern ***Keep Flood Space Targets in Mind Conservatively Both Ways***

Ranking

Current Reservoir Storage:

System: 88% of Capacity “Teacup” Diagram

Last Year and Current Year Review

● 2017: High volume of water throughout Snake River giving us a high carryover in reservoir system for 2018 (see similar years 1998 & 1999 above). ● As a result of last year, had strong base flows and wet soil moisture profiles in high elevations (mountains) all winter long. No major flooding occurred in 2017. ● 2018: Variable winter/spring weather: Most of winter had healthy snowpack, mostly dry weather during Feb-Mar and turned very wet in early April. Dry and warm trend now and for the near future as we melt the remaining snowpack. ● Began flood control in mid-March (arrow) and started storing mid-April (arrow). ● Plan to fill system now and into June.

Operations Summary: • Reservoir System is expected to fill • Irrigation demands are expected to be met • Flooding not expected, but high flows will continue as we approach peak runoffs and high temperatures as we approach fill; (some tributary high flows) • 205 kaf for Flow Augmentation (487 kaf total) • Recharged over 520 kaf in ESPA (next slide) Other Operational Considerations: - Uncertain springtime weather (Temps & Precip) drive reservoir operations - Irrigation demand, runoff volume, snowmelt timing - Maintenance, fish flows, levee repairs, etc. - Continued communication

Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer (ESPA)

2018 Flow Augmentation for Salmon Habitat/Migration 10/31/2017 total Snake System Storage including Henrys Lake and Milner Dam = 3, 149 KAF April-September Heise Forecast = 4, 327 KAF Chart shows 205, 000 acre-feet for 2018 flow augmentation

USFO Water Operations Outreach ● Email Update Distribution (weekly or as needed) ● Jackson, WY Public Meeting ● Committee of Nine ○ River and Reservoir Operations Subcommittee ○ Meet twice per year - September and February ● Irrigation District Managers Meetings (monthly) ● Coordination Meetings with IWRB and IDWR ● Misc. Operations Coordination Conference calls with State, Federal (NRCS, NWS, Corps), Idaho Power and local entities. ● Receive calls from public, fishing and boating guides, media, Emergency Managers, etc.

We work with County Emergency Managers, Idaho Office of Emergency Management and the Wyoming State Engineers Office on Flooding and other Emergency Issues.

Idaho Power Dams

We have Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) on each of our managed dams and those that are in our area that others manage (i. e. Privately operated dams) These EAPs contain: • Alert levels of emergency (i. e. alert for high flows from snowmelt/rainfall, earthquakes, terrorism, dam overtopping or breach, etc. Depending on the situation and level of reservoir and potential weather, we have a list of people to contact and a checklist of actions • Calling tree of Contacts • Dam construction information to run dam break scenarios (would work with National Weather Service River Forecast Center to run simulation) • Flood inundation maps for both sunny day scenario and worst case • Can utilize National Weather Service to activate Emergency Alert System and reverse 911 calls • Coordinate with Idaho Office of Emergency Management • Receive and post updates on web. EOC • Coordinate and Participate in Dam Break table top and functional exercises

Potential Operations Scenarios for a Spill: • Capture water (contaminant) in reservoir; stop releasing water (if we can and time of year is an issue, i. e. Flood Ops) • Shut off (close) diversions from river to canals (irrigation conveyances) • Shut off (close) outlet or discharge works for return flows back into river. • Have to look at each scenario case-bycase

Emergency Procedures Spill Response in or adjacent to River / Reservoir / Dam / Canal / Lateral: 1. First: Call either upper Snake Field Office or Middle Snake Field Office Manager first, they will also contact the Snake River Area Manager Roland Springer and Water Operations When in doubt just call somebody!!! 2. Contact Rick Sego: (208) 859 -4718 3. Water Operations Phone: (208) 670 -0761

Snake River Area Management Contacts: Snake River Area Office 230 Collins Road Boise, Idaho 83702 -4520 Roland Springer rspringer@usbr. gov Area Manager (208) 383 -2246 (Office) (208) 432 -2103 (Cell) Upper Snake Field Office 470 22 nd Street Heyburn, Idaho 83336 Ryan Newman rnewman@usbr. gov Assistant Area Manager (208) 678 -0461 x 34 (Office) (208) 670 -7791 (Cell) Middle Snake Field Office 230 Collins Road Boise, Idaho 83702 -4520 Lanie Paquin mpaquin@usbr. gov Deputy Area Manager (208) 383 -2251 (Office) (202) 603 -2120 (Cell)

Emergency Program Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Region: Rick Sego Middle Snake Field Office 230 Collins Road Boise, Idaho 83702 -4520 Water Operations Phone: (208) 670 -0761 Rick Sego rsego@usbr. gov EAP Program Coordinator (208) 383 -2262 (Office) (208) 859 -4718 (Cell)

For More Information: Upper Snake Field Office – Corey Loveland - Water Operations Manager, 678 -0461 xt. 27 cloveland@usbr. gov – Brian Stevens - Civil Engineer/Hydrologist, 678 -0461 xt. 46 bstevens@usbr. gov Water Operations Phone: (208) 670 -0761 Snake River Operations Web Sites – Upper Snake Water Information http: //www. usbr. gov/pn/hydromet/uppersnake/index. html – USBR Hydro. Met - http: //www. usbr. gov/pn/hydromet/ – Northwest River Forecast Center - http: //www. nwrfc. noaa. gov/rfc/ – NRCS SNOTEL Data - http: //www. id. nrcs. usda. gov/snow/

Questions? Only a photo of the Tetons can make Dandelions look so good!!