Chippewa Flowage water levels

Hi everyone,

This in an article from the Sawyer County Record explaining the current water levels on the Big Chip.

Big Chip forecast to be 1 foot down as area drought continues
Published: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 11:49 AM CDT
The Chippewa Flowage’s water level is projected to range from one foot below to normal for the April 1-June 1 spring period as the area drought continues, according to Rob Olson, hydro plants manger for Xcel Energy.

The level as of April 6 was 1,310.95 feet — 2.1 feet below the typical spring full elevation of 1,313 feet.

“The extremely dry conditions over the past several years have continued through the winter months and into the spring in the upper Chippewa River watershed,” Olson said. “The snowfall from this past winter was near normal, but the snowmelt did not yield much inflow from the tributary rivers and streams.” Olson said that Xcel Energy has adjusted for a lack of moisture and performed a minimal drawdown of 3.35 feet (minimum elevation of 1,309.65 feet) this winter due to concerns with having to refill during the springtime months with limited river inflow.

“The previously targeted winter drawdown elevation of 1,308.0 feet was never reached due to concerns with refilling in the spring due to the recent trend toward below normal precipitation and low river inflows,” Olson added.

“Discharge from the dam will be maintained at or slightly above the minimum flow requirement (250 cfs) until the reservoir refills,” he added.

“Spring rains and any resulting river inflow to the reservoir are impossible to predict in advance,” Olson added. “As such, the rate of refill or target elevations are also difficult, if not impossible, to predict with any degree of accuracy.

“Xcel Energy will re-evaluate reservoir levels and discharge from the dam through the spring to refill the reservoir as much as rainfall and inflow allow. Discharge from the dam will be readjusted as necessary during the spring period to try to refill the reservoir to the target level range.

“Above-normal precipitation over an extended period of time will be required to offset drought conditions and to bring inflow and groundwater levels to more normal levels,” Olson said.

According to the Hayward DNR Ranger Station, there was no measurable snow in the month of March — the first time that has happened in the 78 years that the ranger station has been keeping records,

Over the last seven years, the Hayward area is down 45 inches in precipitation from the average.


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