CONCORD, Mass. – Controlled releases of water are planned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, from Blackwater Dam in Webster and Salisbury, New Hampshire, on Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23, 2017 to provide adequate river flows for recreational canoeing, kayaking and rafting on the Blackwater River, according to Corps of Engineers officials. This water release is subject to change or cancellation, if conditions require.

The Corps of Engineers will provide a water release from Blackwater Dam of approximately 650 cubic feet per second (cfs) on Saturday and Sunday from about 8 a.m. until about 5 p.m. each day, or until the available volume of water is depleted on Sunday, according to Project Manager Tia Mercer of Blackwater Dam in Webster and Salisbury.

Depending on the weather, the Corps anticipates about 80 to 100 people taking advantage of the water releases for recreational purposes. The water releases that support these recreational activities are subject to an adequate volume of water being available and could be cancelled or modified during low flow or high flow conditions.  

Construction of Blackwater Dam was completed in 1941 at a cost of $1.3 million. The 1,150-foot-long, 75-foot-high dam has a reservoir storage capacity of 14.9 billion gallons of water and has prevented flood damages of $77.6 million to date ($118.3 million, adjusted for inflation). Recreational opportunities at Blackwater Dam include hiking, biking, boating, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, dog sledding and snowmobiling in season, with several thousand people visiting the reservoir area each year.

For details on Blackwater Dam area recreation contact the Park Ranger staff at (603) 934-2116 or visit the website at: www.corpslakes.us/Blackwater or at www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/BlackwaterDam.aspx.