The U.S. Army Corps Engineers’ Philadelphia District released the 2017 Flow Management Plan for the Francis E. Walter Dam in White Haven, PA. The plan, developed in partnership with Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, lists dates and release amounts for whitewater and fisheries releases for the 2017 recreation season.
The plan incorporates several changes from the previous year agreed upon by partner organizations and based upon past program performance as well as input received through stakeholders. In 2017, water will again be allocated to ensure whitewater releases from July to late August and fisheries releases from July to early September. Seasonal precipitation and water accumulation will be used for releases later in the season (late August through mid-October).
Planned dates (22) for fishing releases (target 400 cubic feet per second)* are:
- March: 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26
- April: 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30
- May: 6, 7, 14, 21
- October: as provided by end of year release around the weekend of 7-8 October
* Release will be set to match inflow with a target release up to 400 cubic feet per second. Inflow will not be augmented by use of storage to satisfy the 400 cubic feet per second target.
Planned white water release dates (24) are listed below. All other dates during the recreation season, until the weekend of October 7-8 have a planned fisheries augmentation release of at least 50 cubic feet per second if sufficient water is available.
- May: 13, 20, 27, 28
- June: 10, 11, 24, 25
- July: 8, 9, 22, 23, 29, 30
- August: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26*, 27*
- September: 2*, 3*
- October: as provided by end of year releases around the weekend of 7-8 October**
*Releases will depend on seasonal precipitation and water accumulation.
**The 7-8 October weekend release is intended to provide a means of releasing any excess water that may have accumulated during the recreation season. This is the last added increment for the 2017 recreation plan. Fisheries releases through the season will be accommodated before the final weekend (7-8 October) release will be considered.
The Army Corps will hold a total of 22 fishing releases and 24 whitewater release dates (four of which are dependent on additional precipitation along with fisheries enhancement releases on all other days during the recreation season). All dates are dependent on hydrologic conditions and the absence of the need for flood control operations. View full plan details.
Release no. 17-001