Did You Know...

. . . that dams on Washington's Skagit River prevented significant flooding following inundating rains during October 2003? Upper and Lower Baker Dams, along with Ross Dam, held back enough water to take as much as eight feet off the crest of the river. The two dams, completed during the 1950s, prevented flooding in the cities of Burlington and Mount Vernon, according to the Corps of Engineers. Although the dams are owned by utilities, the Corps controlled their operations during the crisis.

The massive rainfall amounts were unexpected so early in the season, and the utilities had not yet drawn the reservoirs down to provide room for the usual winter rains. However, the Corps was able to release enough water during a lull in the storm to allow for more storage during the storm's peak. As much as 77,000 cfs was prevented from flowing down the Skagit River, which almost certainly would have resulted in the overtopping of levees at Mount Vernon and Burlington.

Thanks to USSD Member Harry T. Hall for providing this Benefits of Dams. Source: Skagit Valley Herald, October 23, 2003.

(reprinted from the USSD Newsletter, November 2003, page 3)