Tacoma Power releases water from LaGrande dam, minor flooding possible on Nisqually River
Update: Tacoma Power dropped the discharge rate to 4,100 cfs Wednesday based on the latest forecast, according to Kurt Hardin, Director of Thurston County Emergency Services. Hardin said the company would likely re-evaluate Monday, Feb. 3.
As a string of rainstorms continue to deluge western Washington in what’s been an especially rainy January, Tacoma Power began releasing water from its LaGrande Dam on the Nisqually River Tuesday.
So far, however, Thurston County Emergency Services does not expect the release to cause major flooding.
Thurston County Emergency Management issued an alert through its Thurston Community Alert system Tuesday morning that said Tacoma Power would begin releasing 6,200 cubic feet per second (cfs) from the dam. Another alert mid-day announced it would increase water flow further, to 7,200 cfs by 4 p.m. Tuesday and continue that flow through Monday, Feb. 3, to manage water levels.
It’s possible Tacoma Power could increase the flow again, if needed, according to the alert.
“Nuisance (Minor) flooding expected,” the alert read, “Farm and pasture land may experience erosion.”
Flooding at that speed would only be expected in farms and pastures, Kurt Hardin, Director of Thurston County Emergency Services, told The Olympian. The flow shouldn’t be enough to cause damage to structures, homes, or roads.
Lacey Fire District 3 Battalion Chief Tim Hulse told The Olympian Tuesday morning the department will be keeping an eye on the river, but it also doesn’t expect any major flooding.
Thurston County Emergency Management notifies the public through its Thurston Community Alert system and other methods when Tacoma Power increases the rate of release from the dam to 6,000 cfs or higher, said Hardin, but the threshold for additional impacts around the Nisqually is 8,000 cfs. That’s when bank erosion begins, and effects get more intense as the number increases.
If Tacoma Power increases the water release and changes conditions on the river, Hardin wrote in an email to The Olympian, Thurston Community Alerts will issue additional notifications.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 11:19 AM.
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