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 23-24, 2016 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 23 and Sunday, April 24 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 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.
Release no. 2016-032