Rockport Week Day Releases - 8/21-8/24

[ScottH]

Latest email says they are going to be releasing from 3pm-7pm Tuesday through Friday. I plan to go every day. Will be there around 6pm. will paddle till dark

Reminder: You probably should check the gauge every day before driving to confirm they turned it on.

Scott

[Cowper]

Sound like a party I don't have to miss.

[Twindad]

Any idea WHY they're releasing? Observed precip. maps don't indicate that much rain fell in the Ouachita watershed.

[737driver]

Flow Releases - August 21, 2012

Starting Tuesday.

The weekday release from Blakely, Carpenter and Remmel Dams will be about 3,600 CFS from 3 to 7 PM.

The weekend release from Blakely, Carpenter and Remmel Dams will be about 3,600 CFS from Noon to 4 PM.

The Corps release from DeGray will be from 2 to 8 PM daily of about 1,600 CFS.

[Cowper]

Any idea WHY they're releasing? Observed precip. maps don't indicate that much rain fell in the Ouachita watershed.

This is second hand, but makes total sense.

After Labor Day, they don't "have" to release at all on weekends, and, they will be outside of the "summer" window when the power is needed most. So we may see a lot of zero-release days even during the week. In other words, they are close to the "finish line", so it becomes easier to predict lake levels, and they no longer need to "conserve" water to be sure they can make it through the summer, because summer is almost over.

[Twindad]

As of 5:15PM Tuesday, Remmel dam had just come up to full release (according to the ACC web site gauge graphic). That would imply full flow wouldn't reach the ledge until well after 7PM. Anybody with a smart phone down at the ledge want to confirm that?

[ScottH]

I got there around 5:30 and the water was rising. In my boat by a little before 6pm and played the last part of the rise. Cowper commented that he thought the rise was a little slow/late. By 6:45 or so the river had leveled off and stayed the same till I threw in the towel at 5 min till 8pm. I think there were 7 boaters total. Short lines and long release make me a little sore today and it feels good. Guess I will have to go back this afternoon and work that sore-ness out...


Below is the USGS gauge in table form showing the 15 minute increments. It looks like how they have been ramping up releases all this year to me with the exception of they might have started it a few minutes late.


08/21/2012 15:00 CDT 2.54P 221P 24.8P 0.00P
08/21/2012 15:15 CDT 4.90P 1,760P 24.4P 0.00P
08/21/2012 15:30 CDT 5.96P 2,990P 23.3P 0.00P
08/21/2012 15:45 CDT 6.20P 3,320P 23.0P 0.00P
08/21/2012 16:00 CDT 6.32P 3,490P 23.0P 0.00P
08/21/2012 16:15 CDT 6.30P 3,460P 22.9P 0.00P
08/21/2012 16:30 CDT 6.38P 3,580P 23.0P 0.00P
08/21/2012 16:45 CDT 6.35P 3,530P 23.0P 0.00P
08/21/2012 17:00 CDT 6.37P 3,560P 23.1P 0.00P
08/21/2012 17:15 CDT 6.36P 3,550P 23.1P 0.00P
08/21/2012 17:30 CDT 6.39P 3,590P 23.1P 0.00P
08/21/2012 17:45 CDT 6.40P 3,610P 23.1P 0.00P
08/21/2012 18:00 CDT 6.33P 3,510P 23.0P 0.00P
08/21/2012 18:15 CDT 6.37P 3,560P 23.0P 0.00P
08/21/2012 18:30 CDT 6.38P 3,580P 22.9P 0.00P
08/21/2012 18:45 CDT 6.39P 3,590P 22.9P 0.00P
08/21/2012 19:00 CDT 6.45P 3,680P 23.0P 0.00P
08/21/2012 19:15 CDT 4.24P 1,160P 23.0P 0.00P
08/21/2012 19:30 CDT 3.49P 647P 23.0P 0.00P