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, April 18-19, 2015 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, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 from about 8 a.m. until about 3 p.m. each day, or until the available volume of water is depleted on Sunday, according to Project Manager Jennifer Rockett 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 events.
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 with several thousand people visiting the reservoir area each year.
For more information on Blackwater Dam area recreation contact the Park Ranger staff at (603) 934-2116 or (603) 648-6028 or visit the website at: www.corpslakes.us/Blackwater or at www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/BlackwaterDam.aspx.
Release no. 2015-037