Boysen levels off

THERMOPOLIS – According to a press release issued by Hot Springs County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Gordon, the Bureau of Reclamation announced Tuesday afternoon that the water level in Boysen has leveled off and that the release of 9,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) will be maintained until the end of the week. An announcement is expected about reducing the amount released early next week.

Inflow into Boysen has now dropped below the release flow. Inflows are forecast to diminish daily over the next several days.

Runoff filled four feet into the flood pool. The elevation of the lake is 4,729 feet. The elevation of the lake for normal storage is 4,725 feet. Once the lake is returned to 4,725 feet, release flows will match inflows so that the level of the lake does not exceed the 4,725 foot elevation. Over time, the releases will be reduced to around 2,000cfs for the remainder of the summer.

“Thank you to the Bureau of Reclamation, National Weather Service and [Army] Corps of Engineers for their talents at predicting and managing a very high snowmelt runoff, along with heavy rain in the mountains. And through it all keeping release flows below a damaging level in Thermopolis and Hot Springs County,” Gordon said. “And thank you to the citizens of Hot Springs County. You were alert, stayed informed, and most of all, stayed safe.”