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NE (NewsDakota.com)   Snowmelt inflow is expected to begin at Jamestown and Pipestem Reservoirs in the next week.

According to a release from the Army Corps of Engineers, combined releases from the reservoirs are currently expected to stay below 1200 cubic feet per second (cfs) with snowpack conditions being compared to 2001. Significant additional rainfall or snow may necessitate higher release levels.

Pipestem Reservoir is currently at pool elevation 1441.5 feet with approximately 50 cfs inflow and 50 cfs outflow. Jamestown Reservoir is currently at pool elevation 1429.9 feet with approximately 32 cfs inflow and no outflow. All of the flood storage at Pipestem and Jamestown is currently available for the spring runoff.

Releases will be initiated once James River levels are steady or dropping in the downstream channel to Lamoure. Releases will be stepped up by approximately 100 to 200 cfs per day as necessary depending on the amount of inflow into the reservoirs.

During the spring and summer, emphasis will be placed on evacuating Jamestown Reservoir flood storage near the June 1 target date. Pipestem Reservoir flood storage will be primarily evacuated in June, July and August.

Residents along the James River downstream from Jamestown should monitor flood forecasts by the National Weather Service and make preparations as necessary to minimize damages from high river levels.

Flood forecasts on the James River in North Dakota and South Dakota are available on the Missouri Basin River Forecasting Center website at http://www.crh.noaa.gov/mbrfc/.

A rapid deployable gage will be installed on the James River near Adrian to provide river stage readings between Jamestown and Lamoure. Data from this gage and permanent gages on the James River in North Dakota and South Dakota is available on the U.S. Geological Survey website at http://nd.water.usgs.gov/floodinfo/james.html.