St. Paul, MN (USACE) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, (USACE), is increasing outflow this week from Baldhill Dam located near Valley City, North Dakota, to lower Lake Ashtabula in the wake of a recent winter storm.

The historic, late-winter storm produced as much moisture as a typical winter and is expected to melt this week. In addition, rain expected this weekend has the potential to further increase runoff. Lowering the reservoir level will reduce the risk of flooding by creating room in the reservoir for runoff.

The Manager of Baldhill Dam at Lake Ashtabula says an approaching storm may require some modifications to the discharge rates for the dam. Rich Schueneman says an adjustment to the flow rate was required after last week’s blizzard. He says it’s been estimated the recent snow in the upper Sheyenne River and Devils Lake Basin contains two inches of liquid water.

With another storm pending, Schueneman says things are still at the manageable point. He says there is an additional 5-feet of storage on the lake if the need develops.

The releases from Baldhill Dam could be increased up to 2,400 cubic feet per second to lower the lake level as much as six inches per day this week prior to precipitation forecast for this weekend. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the forecast lake level and releases at https://www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil/reports/Baldhill_Dam.Report.shtml, which will be updated daily during this event.

Current and historic lake levels and releases can be accessed at www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil or https://water.usace.army.mil. All Corps’ reservoirs are operated in accordance with detailed water control manuals to ensure the system performs as designed.