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Lakes Sakakawea and Oahe Are Back! SWC A

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The March to the end of July, Sakakawea SWC Approves Cost-Share for Clausen Springs Dam went up about 16 feet. Lake Oahe, which starts to fill from spring runoff By Patrick Fridgen erosion, and emergency measures Local residents did not want to a little earlier, rose just over 17 feet had to be taken to save the dam from see the reservoir drawn down and the from the end of February to the end At their Dec. 11 meeting in a potential breach (see photos). With dam removed because of the recre- of June 2009. Bismarck, the North Dakota State the town of Kathryn just down- ational opportunities it provides in Water Commission approved a $1.3 stream, all 55 of its residents had the area. For that reason, a decision Though the future for North million cost-share request from the to be evacuated as a precautionary was made to look at repair alterna- FROM THE NORTH DAKOTA STATE WATER COMMISSION Dakota’s Missouri River reservoirs is Barnes County Water Resource Dis- measure. tives that could keep the dam in unknown, it’s certainly nice to look trict (WRD) to assist with repairs at place. Lakes Sakakawea and Oahe Are Back! at them today and see a big expanse Clausen Springs Dam. Following inspections weeks lat- of water, (or ice as the case may be), er, it was determined that in order for In response, a study was complet- By Patrick Fridgen and 9.2 feet, respectively. rather than the tumbleweed covered During the spring flooding events Clausen Springs Dam to meet North ed in the summer of 2009 that looked dust flats of not that long ago. of 2009, Clausen Springs Dam was Dakota’s dam safety standards, it at the watershed above Clausen It wasn’t long ago that water During the spring of 2009, floods damaged after it filled to capacity and would have to undergo permanent Springs Dam, and also at the dam’s levels on Lakes Sakakawea and Oahe ravaged almost every corner of North began spilling water out of its earthen repairs and modifications to remain ability to pass various runoff events. were looking pretty dire. Years of Dakota. However, one of the few Lake Sakakawea emergency spillway. The excessive in operation. If not, the dam would The conclusion of that study was prolonged drought had taken their bright spots associated with all of amount of floodwater flowing out of have to be removed. that the dam does not meet mini- toll on North Dakota’s biggest res- that runoff was the help it brought to the spillway started to cause severe mum criteria for passing a 100-year ervoirs, and as a result, boat ramps Sakakawea and Oahe. snowmelt without the addition of a were left high and dry, and the health structural spillway. In addition, it was of the fisheries was steadily declining. During the 2009 spring runoff and A National determined that the dam could not filling period on Lake Sakakawea, Guard helicopter contain a probable maximum precipi- dropped half-ton By May 2005, Lake Sakakawea which ran roughly from the end of sandbags to help tation flood event without floodwater had fallen to an all time low when reinforce the overtopping the embankment. it hit an elevation of 1,805.8 feet 1850 earthen spill- way at Clausen above mean sea level (msl). During Springs Dam As a result of these findings, the 1840 that same time, Lake Oahe was also Lake Sakakawea Elevation (April 2009). Barnes County WRD decided to declining, but it didn’t reach its record 1999 - 2009 move forward with the design and low elevation until August 2006, when 1830 construction of a new structural it bottomed out at 1,570.2 feet msl. emergency spillway. 1820 Fast forward a couple years, and The estimated cost of prelimi- today, both Lakes Sakakawea and 1810 nary engineering on the project is Oahe are nearly full - thanks to a wet RECORD LOW: Concrete rip-rap $100,000; while the estimated cost 1800 1,805.8 ft. msl was also placed early summer in 2008, and the spring May 2005 of construction work to build the runoff of 2009. Elevation in Feet Above Mean Sea Level to slow erosion structural emergency spillway is $2.5 1790 of the earthen spillway (April million. With anticipated 20 percent As of the first part of Dec. 2009, 2009). engineering costs, the total cost of Jul 1999 Jul 2000 Jul 2001 Jul 2003 Jul 2004 Jul 2005 Jul 2006 Jul 2007 Jul 2008 Jul 2009 Lake Sakakawea was at an elevation Jan 1999 Jan 2000 Jan 2001 Jan 2002 Jan 2003 Jan 2004 Jan 2005 Jan 2006 Jan 2007 Jan 2008 Jan 2009 the spillway repair is estimated at $3 July 2002 of 1,841.5 feet msl. That’s almost 36 million. feet higher than the record low set in 1620 2005. In comparison, Lake Oahe was The Barnes County WRD, as the at an elevation of 1,608.2 feet msl 1610 Lake Oahe Elevation local project sponsor, will be re- during the first part of Dec. 2009. 1999 - 2009 sponsible for $700,000 of the project That’s an increase of 38 feet since its 1600 costs. They have $200,000 commit- record low was set in the summer of ted from the Barnes County Com- 2006. 1590 mission and have requested $500,000 from the Red River Joint WRD to The start of the refilling process 1580 fund the remainder of the local share. for both reservoirs got a major boost from extensive rainfall during the 1570 RECORD LOW: In addition to the State Water 1,570.2 ft. msl, Aug. 2006 early summer months of 2008. In just Elevation in Feet Above Mean Sea Level Commission’s $1.3 million, the two months time, from the end of 1560 Game and Fish Department will pro- May to the end of July 2008, Lakes vide another $1 million from the state Sakakawea and Oahe jumped 15.4 Jul 1999 Jul 2000 Jul 2001 Jul 2003 Jul 2004 Jul 2005 Jul 2006 Jul 2007 Jul 2008 Jul 2009 Jan 1999 Jan 2000 Jan 2001 Jan 2002 Jan 2003 Jan 2004 Jan 2005 Jan 2006 Jan 2007 Jan 2008 Jan 2009 for the new spillway. July 2002 16 North Dakota Water ■ January 2010 North Dakota Water ■ January 2010 17 The March to the end of July, Sakakawea SWC Approves Cost-Share for Clausen Springs Dam went up about 16 feet. Lake Oahe, which starts to fill from spring runoff By Patrick Fridgen erosion, and emergency measures Local residents did not want to a little earlier, rose just over 17 feet had to be taken to save the dam from see the reservoir drawn down and the from the end of February to the end At their Dec. 11 meeting in a potential breach (see photos). With dam removed because of the recre- of June 2009. Bismarck, the North Dakota State the town of Kathryn just down- ational opportunities it provides in Water Commission approved a $1.3 stream, all 55 of its residents had the area. For that reason, a decision Though the future for North million cost-share request from the to be evacuated as a precautionary was made to look at repair alterna- FROM THE NORTH DAKOTA STATE WATER COMMISSION Dakota’s Missouri River reservoirs is Barnes County Water Resource Dis- measure. tives that could keep the dam in unknown, it’s certainly nice to look trict (WRD) to assist with repairs at place. Lakes Sakakawea and Oahe Are Back! at them today and see a big expanse Clausen Springs Dam. Following inspections weeks lat- of water, (or ice as the case may be), er, it was determined that in order for In response, a study was complet- By Patrick Fridgen and 9.2 feet, respectively. rather than the tumbleweed covered During the spring flooding events Clausen Springs Dam to meet North ed in the summer of 2009 that looked dust flats of not that long ago. of 2009, Clausen Springs Dam was Dakota’s dam safety standards, it at the watershed above Clausen It wasn’t long ago that water During the spring of 2009, floods damaged after it filled to capacity and would have to undergo permanent Springs Dam, and also at the dam’s levels on Lakes Sakakawea and Oahe ravaged almost every corner of North began spilling water out of its earthen repairs and modifications to remain ability to pass various runoff events. were looking pretty dire. Years of Dakota. However, one of the few Lake Sakakawea emergency spillway. The excessive in operation. If not, the dam would The conclusion of that study was prolonged drought had taken their bright spots associated with all of amount of floodwater flowing out of have to be removed. that the dam does not meet mini- toll on North Dakota’s biggest res- that runoff was the help it brought to the spillway started to cause severe mum criteria for passing a 100-year ervoirs, and as a result, boat ramps Sakakawea and Oahe. snowmelt without the addition of a were left high and dry, and the health structural spillway. In addition, it was of the fisheries was steadily declining. During the 2009 spring runoff and A National determined that the dam could not filling period on Lake Sakakawea, Guard helicopter contain a probable maximum precipi- dropped half-ton By May 2005, Lake Sakakawea which ran roughly from the end of sandbags to help tation flood event without floodwater had fallen to an all time low when reinforce the overtopping the embankment.
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