Dworshak Dam discharge flows will fluctuate between 5,000 and 13,000 cubic feet per second throughout the remainder of the summer season to provide cold water from the reservoir on the North Fork of the Clearwater River, reducing downstream river water temperatures for migrating salmon and steelhead.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says Dworshak’s cold-water releases help the agency maintain tailwater temperatures at Lower Granite Lock and Dam at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler to benefit fish passage survival of Endangered Species Act listed salmonids during summer months, whenever possible. The process of releasing cool water from Dworshak to improve fish passage in the warmer water of the Snake River is part of the Federal Columbia River System’s “salmon flow augmentation” program.
The Corps implements that part of the program annually, starting during the summer when water temperatures increase, and ending in early fall when water temperatures begin to cool naturally. (USACE)
