Libby Dam

📢 Recreation Update: The floating docks at Libby Dam have not yet been installed for the season. We will notify the public once water levels reach an elevation that allows the docks to be safely installed and opened for use.

Until that time, S***e Gulch will remain closed to vehicle traffic.

Please continue to check for updates before planning your visit.

🌊 Water Safety Reminder: Water temperatures remain cold, and conditions can change quickly. Always wear a properly fitted life jacket, keep a close watch on children near the water, and be aware of changing weather and water conditions.

We have a Libby Dam flow update for you!

The June Water Supply Forecast (WSF) for the April through August inflow period for Koocanusa Reservoir, is 7.064 million acre-feet (116% of average).
The WSF has been well above average through the winter, driven by above normal snowpack at elevation in the upper Kootenay River watershed (https://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/snow/index.html?version=20201207v1), and Koocanusa Reservoir has been drafted accordingly through the winter and spring. Please see attaches in the comment section.

Current Koocanusa Reservoir elevation is ~ 2,420’ after having reached a low pool elevation of ~ 2,369’ (90’ from full pool and 85’ from target refill elevation).
Current Koocanusa Reservoir inflow is ~ 45,000 cfs after having peaked at ~ 68,000 cfs on May 31.
Current Libby Dam discharge is 25,000 cfs.
Current Bonners Ferry stage is ~ 1,756.5’ (flood stage is 1,764’) after having peaked ~1,757’ on May 30/31.

Koocanusa Reservoir elevation is projected to reach ~2,454’ (full pool elevation for reservoir management purposes) by late July / early August and remain over 2,450’ through most of September.

Libby Dam has been discharging full powerhouse capacity (25,000 cubic feet per second – cfs) since May 26 for Kootenai River white sturgeon spawning in the lower Kootenai River.
Discharge will be reduced to 22,500 cfs late Sunday evening and then reduced to 20,000 cfs on June 11.

Further flow decreases will occur through the end of June, and we expect river flows during July and August to be above the minimum bull trout flow of 9,000 cfs for this year before reducing discharge to the bull trout minimum flow in late August / early September.

More detailed flow updates will be provided as they are coordinated to occur, as described above.
Details are also available via the links below.

US Army Corps of Engineers Libby Dam Water Management Data:
https://water.usace.army.mil/overview/nws/locations/lib

Short term forecasts for Libby Dam elevations and inflow:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?lid=LYDM8

Short term forecasts for Libby Dam outflow:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?lid=KBDM8

You know what isn’t cool? Drowning. USACE data shows 88% of drowning victims are male, meaning men are about 7 times more likely to drown than women. Gentlemen, if you want to impress someone, start by buckling that life jacket.

No surprise here that our dam's dark, cavernous spaces aren't just great for generating hydropower. They're also a favorite hangout spot for local bats! 🦇🦇

Surveys conducted between 2011–2012 identified nine bat species roosting in or near our Visitor Center?? We've seen Little Brown Myotis, Yuma Myotis, California Myotis, Hoary Bat, Big Brown Bat, Townsend’s Big-eared Bat, Silver-haired Bat, Western Long-eared Myotis, and Small-footed Myotis!! 😮🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️

To check in on our nocturnal neighbors, we stayed up way past our bedtime and teamed up with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to conduct a late-night field session to safely capture and monitor local bat species right here on site.

Our main mission was checking them for White-Nose Syndrome, a devastating fungal disease affecting bats across North America. Catching it early is key to keeping our local colonies healthy.

Wangling bats in the dark might sound like a funny way to spend a shift, but these little guys are the unsung heroes of our ecosystem. A single little brown bat can eat its own body weight in bugs every single night. By keeping pests in check, they protect the beautiful Montana forests and lands we all love.

Healthy Bats ➡️ Natural Pest Control ➡️ Thriving Montana Ecosystem ✅

We’re proud to team up with Montana FWP to look out for our winged allies, so they can keep doing their vital work under the cover of darkness! U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District

See you Sunday afternoon for Birds of Prey!

Next Sunday! Whooo's going? :)

Notice a change in flows? We have an update for you!

The following outflow changes are scheduled for Monday, May 25th :
-Outflows will increase from 10.0 kcfs to 12.5 kcfs at 2000 MDT.
-Outflows will increase from 12.5 kcfs to 15.0 kcfs at 2100 MDT.
-Outflows will increase from 15.0 kcfs to 17.5 kcfs at 2200 MDT.
-Outflows will increase from 17.5 kcfs to 20.0 kcfs at 2300 MDT.

The following outflow changes are scheduled for Tuesday, May 26th :
-Outflows will increase from 20.0 kcfs to 25.0 kcfs at 0000 MDT.

This flow schedule is in accordance with the USFWS Biological Opinion for endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon (KRWS) that requires volume to be discharged from Libby Dam during the spring spawning period. The KRWS Flow Plan Implementation Protocol (FPIP) Technical Team (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship), has recommended the operation described below, and the Corps at Libby Dam will implement the Plan as detailed above beginning this evening.

Details on duration of maximum discharge, as well as discharge and duration during the receding limb of the hydrograph, are provided below. The attached figures (.pdf) are projections for Koocanusa reservoir refill, Libby Dam discharge, and Bonners Ferry flow and stage through the fall, and subject to modification as real time conditions warrant.

Flow notifications will be sent out as flows are reduced towards the summer flat flow of ~10,000 cfs and through the fall.

The Corps’ April-August water supply forecast (WSF) for May is 7.05 million acre-feet (MAF; 116% of average), a forecast with an associated sturgeon volume of 1.17 MAF.
The sturgeon flow augmentation operation will consist of a period of increasing dam outflows (pre-peak) from 10,000 cfs to 25,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) over 2 days (May 24 and 25), a period of peak flows for ~ 14 days, and a period of decreasing flows (post-peak) from 25,000 cfs to ~ 10,000 cfs - the summer “flat flow” - over ~ 14 days . This operation will exhaust the allocated sturgeon volume.
Minimum bull trout flow after the sturgeon flow augmentation operation for the May WSF is 9,000 cfs through September, at which time the minimum flow becomes 6,000 cfs.
Projected pool elevation for Koocanusa Reservoir is ~2,453’ MSL in early/mid-August. Full pool management objective is 2,454’ MSL; maximum pool elevation is 2,459’ MSL.
The end of September target elevation for the May WSF is elevation 2,449’ Median Sea Level (MSL); full pool is 2,454’.

The overall objectives for FPIP flow augmentation operations at Libby Dam are to annually provide a period of peak river flow in the spawning reach near Bonners Ferry during the spring freshet (generally between late May and early June), and to provide a stable to rising thermograph in the river as the discharge from Libby Dam decreases towards the bull trout minimum flow or higher through the summer, along with normative river temperatures as managed with the Selective Withdrawal System (SWS) at the dam.
The timing and duration of flows are intended to provide cues for sturgeon to migrate further upstream from their staging areas, and then cues to spawn on the descending limb of the hydrograph (receding flow, warming water), with the overall goal of providing conditions that will enhance the likelihood for sturgeon to migrate to, and spawn over, rocky substrates that exist upstream of Bonners Ferry.
Discharge temperature will be managed as per usual through the spring and summer.

Water Management Data:
https://water.usace.army.mil/overview/nws/locations/lib

Short term forecasts for Libby Dam elevations and inflow:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?lid=LYDM8

Short term forecasts for Libby Dam outflow:
http://www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplot/flowplot.cgi?lid=KBDM8

Next Sunday! Whooo's going? :)

Historically, Memorial Day Weekend is one of the riskiest times of the year for boating and water-related activities. Sadly, many water-related fatalities occur during the holiday weekend. Following these simple tips can help ensure that you have a good and safe Memorial Day weekend. Remember Life Jackets Worn…Nobody Mourns so .

Today is Wear Your Life Jacket at Work Day, leading directly into National Safe Boating Week (May 16-22). Here's a photo of our Libby Dam staff and volunteers taking this challenge to heart -- and for good reason.

Did you know that 89 percent of victims in USACE water-related accidents were not wearing life jackets? Let's wear our life jackets at work to raise awareness for water safety

Whether you're working in an office, on the water, at home or basically anywhere, help share this important safety message and join the fun!

Want more info about Boating and Water Safety. Go to : http://watersafety.usace.army.mil/ or http://www.safeboatingcampaign.com for more information.