BULLHEAD CITY – On August 14, the Bureau of Reclamation will temporarily reduce water releases from Davis Dam to approximately 2,200 cubic feet second from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. MST.
River users should exercise extra caution during these times as lower river flows may temporarily expose or create hazards such as sandbars and unstable riverbanks. Floating or submerged debris or other unfamiliar obstacles may also pose potential hazards until the river returns to normal flow release levels.
The reduced flow along the river reaches below Davis Dam support a request from the cities of Laughlin, Nevada, and Bullhead City, Arizona, as part of an ongoing caddisfly abatement study being conducted to combat the nuisance species that negatively impacts businesses and visitors to the area. The experiments are designed to maximize benefits to Colorado River communities, while taking into consideration water delivery requirements, impacts to hydropower production, and local recreation.
Releases are scheduled to return to normal on August 14 at 4 p.m. MST, although timing could vary depending on operational or environmental conditions.
During this special operation, the water levels below Davis Dam will drop, exposing the banks of the river channel where caddisfly pupae and larvae live, allowing the local bird and bat populations to assist with pest abatement by feeding on the exposed insects.
The decision to conduct these experiments was based on input and recommendations from a collaborative team of scientists, federal reservoir operators and the local business communities. The experiments are designed to maximize benefits to Colorado River communities, while taking into consideration water delivery requirements and impacts to hydropower production and local recreation.
Planned operations may change depending on operational or environmental conditions. Daily and hourly information on releases from Reclamation’s Colorado River dams is available on Reclamation’s web site, at: https://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html. Davis Dam and Parker Dam projected water release schedules are available on Reclamation’s website at: https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/DavisParkerSchedules.pdf.
