Columbia River Water levels a balancing act between power and recreation

EPHRATA — Recreation expectations and the raising and lowering of water levels behind Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams a subject of a discussion at the regular meeting of the Grant County PUD commissioners on June 28..

Water levels are a balancing act between the amount of water flow needed for electrical generation and for ensuring maximum access to the Columbia River for recreation. General manager Kevin Nordt said water flow is adjusted, to assist recreation, at the higher end of the water level allowed.

Water levels are usually raised for the long holiday weekends during recreation season, Labor Day and Memorial Day. Water levels are raised the Friday before a long weekend and stay elevated until the following Tuesday morning, Nordt said.

July 4 is a slightly more complicated problem, Nordt explained, since it’s only one day. In that case, water levels are raised the day before and remain elevated until the morning of the day after.

Commissioner Dale Walker asked if that might have set expectations for people using the reservoir, where people might expect water levels to be elevated on other days.

“We probably have set an expectation over those weekends, but I think that’s probably a reasonable expectation,” Nordt said.

But when it comes to non-holiday weekends and summer weekdays, elevated water levels would complicate electrical generation. That could be very costly for the utility, Nordt said.

Commissioner Bob Bernd asked if managing river levels requires cooperation with the operators of other dams along the mid-Columbia. Nordt said it’s not required, but operators do it because coordination makes it easier to operate the system. Working together does reduce the cost burden for each utility, he said.

There are town celebrations and special events in communities along the river that also require the managing of water levels.

“Sometimes we have something special going on,” Nordt said.

Pateros, which is upstream from Wells Dam, hosts Jet Ski, dragon boat and hydroplane races, and while that just affects the water level at Wells, other hydro projects downstream work with Douglas County PUD to manage water flow.

Bernd asked if mid-Columbia hydropower operators work with Chief Joseph Dam or Grand Coulee Dam, both federal projects. Nordt said the federal projects focus on their obligations, but they work together when the opportunity arises. Hydro operators do work together when it comes to projects like meeting salmon and steelhead recovery targets.

“It just turns out that working together is better than trying to work individually.”