Flows from Boysen increased again

The past couple weeks have seen some pretty astounding images from Owl Creek and Anchor Dam, with water going up on nearby roads and extremely high flows from the dam. According to Hot Springs County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Gordon, there is still some snowmelt to feed into that area, but it is in a much better place regarding the melt and the lake level so it’s off the radar for now.

The Wind River and Bighorn River, however, are another story.

Gordon said with what was left of the snowmelt runoff, it was fair to say the Bureau of Reclamation was in a good position to continue flows from Boysen Reservoir into the Wind River at 8,000 cubic feet per second (cfs). This would create enough room for the majority of the coming runoff. It was thought that, if the flow were to increase, it would only go to 9,000 cfs for a short time.

However, last Friday saw about 1.5 to two inches of rain across the drainages that feed the Wind River. It came down quickly, Gordon said, and caused some more flooding in Fremont County, and also took away the storage at Boysen for the snowmelt runoff. Now that it’s warming up, the flow was increased to 9,000 cfs to accommodate the runoff.

It is possible the flow could go above 9,000, Gordon said, but stressed there has not been a decision to do so as of Tuesday afternoon. Boysen does have a 7’ flood pool that can be utilized above the normal full elevation of 4,725 feet, but efforts are made to minimize use of that pool.

The Corps of Engineers, State Engineers Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Big Horn Recreation Area and Yellowtail Dam are all in on the conversation as to whether the flow will be increased yet again, to determine what the impact could be for Thermopolis and the communities downstream.

Regarding any flooding issues, Gordon said the flow of 9,000 cfs is not causing any more significant flooding than what was seen at 8,000 cfs to his knowledge, and he hasn’t heard of anyone along the river having trouble. Should the flow increase to 10,000 cfs — which he doesn’t expect it will — he doesn’t foresee any residential flooding, but the water will likely start getting to some fields.

Anyone who sees problems developing due to the increased flow is encouraged to call dispatch at 864-3114 and they will contact Gordon, who can help determine what to do.