IDAHO FALLS, Idaho—ERDC Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) researchers Drs. Steven Daly and Meredith Carr recently participated in the test release from Ririe Reservoir, Idaho Falls, Idaho. Others participants represented the Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Geological Survey, State of Idaho, and local irrigation districts.
The Feb. 8-12 release was conducted in frigid weather to test the feasibility of modifying current winter time operations of the reservoir. The release was through 15 miles of the undeveloped Willow Creek and then through 7.7 miles of the normally dry overflow channel to the Snake River.
Prior to the release, researchers worked to characterize the snow conditions in the overflow channel and the ice conditions in Willow Creek.
The release commenced Feb. 10, with an initial release of 150 cubic feet per second (cfs), and was increased in a series of steps to a maximum of 500 cfs that was held constant for 24 hours.
The flow, depth, water temperature and meteorological data that were collected during the test release are currently being analyzed.
Read more on this test release at http://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=42084.
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