PEND OREILLE COUNTY, Wash. — After receiving an informal request, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers agreed to a delayed fall drawdown schedule for Lake Pend Oreille set to begin Sept. 23.
Fall drawdown ordinarily starts the third Sunday of September or Sept. 18, whichever is later. This summer’s lower-than-average water level caused the USACE to push its schedule back.
The Corps will hold the summer pool through Sept. 22 before targeting 2,060 feet by Sept. 30 and 2,051 feet no later than Nov. 15.
Because operators use Albeni Falls Dam’s powerhouse for fall drawdown, not its gates, the unresolved gate problem will not be affected.
Metal flaws were discovered in one of the dam’s 11 gates in April after infrastructure was inspected as part of a rehabilitation project. All gates are original to the 69-year-old dam and have outlived their life expectancies.
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