By Ben Olson
reader
The US Army Corps of Engineers began on April 1, the gradual spring filling of the Pend-Pend-Lake-Eryille and planned to manage the summer soul from 2025 within the normal ligament of 2062.0-2062.5.
Nicole Celestine, specialist of the Corps Public Affairs, confirmed with the reader This Albeni Falls Dam will be again under restricted operations after the structural defects discovered in several Spillway goals, which pushed the date for the achievement of the high summer pool in 2024.
“The restriction of minimizing the gate movements as far as possible for 2025 remains to ensure that our staff and our infrastructure are safe,” said Celestine. “However, the restriction, which reduced the summer high band to 2061.75'-2062.5 ', was repealed for 2025. We plan to work in the summer within the height of 2062'-2062.5'.”
Celestine said the corps expected to follow the operations “as close as possible” as they minimize the gate movements to prioritize the flood control, and “… to take up 2062.0 feet until late in June after flood risks, depending on the flood risk, the forecasts and the conditions of the snow packing in the pool of pend ore.
In the case of limited operations, the gates are only moved individually as required to control the refill of the lake and manage the risk of flood. If possible, the operators only move the gates into a completely open or closed position. In a worst case of a gate failure during the high cross inflows, the corps could lose the ability to control the lake mirror all season if not.
Representatives of the US Army Corps of Engineers speak to a meeting in Ponderay in May 2024. Photo by Ben Olson
The snow packaging is almost normal this year, albeit a little below the entire 24,000 square mile water sheath pool over Albeni Falls. Nevertheless, Celestine said that snow pack was only part of the planning considerations for dam.
“The weather conditions can change quickly, and when we come to spring, the risk of rain-on-snow high-rise events is available every year,” she said. “How quickly the snow melts can be even more important in most years.”
Celestine also gave an update to a replacement for Spillway goal and explained that the corps are actively working on repairs for gate 3, which the problem excluded when it was removed for routine rehabilitation in autumn 2023 and was determined that they had steel errors. Since all 10 goals were made at the same time as the same steel, everyone was planned for exchange.
“The gate will probably return on site in the coming weeks, where it will be treated with a fiber -reinforced polymer before it is reinstalled in its original position that the replacement goal is currently taking,” said Celestine.
“The design for the new Spillway gates will continue before the schedule and is now expected to be completed by July, two months earlier than originally planned. We expect to apply for a contract for the new goals by the end of the year.”
Celestine said that the first goal is expected to arrive on site in 2027, with the following goals being replaced in intervals from six months to the replacement of all ten goals. If the progress is made at the time estimates of the corps, the Gate replacement project can be completed around 2031.
“This schedule was confirmed after a successful industrial day in January 2025 when representatives and contractors in the industry checked their ability to meet these project requirements,” said Celestine.
The Corps plans to hold a public meeting to share the gates at some point in May with a confirmed date in this newspaper.
Since its announcement of the Gate defect in 2024, the corps has exposed itself to increasing public examination. Several controversial meetings offer the locals the opportunity to comment on this topic.
Distulate 1 sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle and Dist. 1 Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint, worked on this topic.
“I think [defective gates] as well as proposed the extended timeline for repairs. It shouldn't take four times as long to change a number of car tires, as was needed to build the car first, ”wrote Woodward in his article“ Protection of our water in Idaho ”in the reader [See Page 13].
Woodward explained that he and Sauter encourage the corps, “repaired on the Albeni Falls -Damm gate faster.
He added that both he and Sauter push a longer full pool period on the Lake Pend Oreille.
Woodward said he and Sauter hope to apply for measures by the Federal Government next week through the Senate Joint Memorial 105, which can be viewed on legislature.idaho.gov.