Corps to briefly reduce Baldhill Dam outflows for downstream maintenance

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, plans to alter Baldhill Dam outflows at Lake Ashtabula, near Valley City, North Dakota, starting Monday, Sept. 28, to help US Geological Survey technicians perform maintenance on downstream stream gages.

Corps water management engineers plan to increase outflows to around 600 cubic feet per second, or cfs for approximately three days. The current outflow is 400 cfs. After the reservoir is lowered approximately 0.5 ft, the outflow will be slowly reduced to 50 cfs. Corps staff anticipate maintaining the lower outflow for approximately 7 – 10 days. During this time, the Lake Ashtabula pool elevation is expected to rise approximately 1 foot to an elevation of 1265.5 feet. Outflows will resume slightly above seasonal levels of approximately 500 cfs once the maintenance is complete, and Corps officials will begin the reservoir’s normal winter drawdown consisting of slowly lowering the water level to an elevation of 1262.5 feet by March 1.

Outflows and pool elevations are subject to change. Updated forecasts will be available at https://www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil/reports/Baldhill_Dam.Report.shtml during the downstream maintenance.

Please be cautious near the water during the reduced outflow as conditions can change with little to no warning. 

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