Third highest inflows ever recorded lift Wilson Lake out of five-year slump
SYLVAN GROVE, Kan. ¾ The third highest inflows ever recorded at a river gage upstream of Wilson Lake raised the water level by almost seven feet, helping the lake replenish from the effects of a five-year drought.
Heavy rains from a Sept. 2 storm produced inflows at the Saline River gage north of Russell, Kan. of nearly 23,000 cubic feet per second. This brought the lake to 1.28 feet above the normal water level, and one foot above the seasonal water level management plan target.
“With the conservation pool now one hundred percent full any additional inflows will occupy space in the flood control pool,” said Dan Hays, operations project manager for Wilson Lake. “The lake operation manual governs the release of water from the lake. Flood control space in all Corps lakes is used only to temporarily store flood waters, and then evacuate that water from storage as quickly as downstream conditions permit, such that flows and water levels downstream remain within limits that do not cause significant flood damages.”
Saline River inflows remain robust and may require the release of water from the lake. Consequently, conditions within the downstream Kansas River basin along with the conditions at other lakes, such as Waconda and Kanopolis, will be considered before determining the magnitude of any flood control release that might be scheduled from Wilson Lake in the days ahead.
Wilson Lake facilities are open to the public and are fully functional. Visitors and boaters are encouraged to maintain a look out for debris and practice water safety.
Above normal rainfall in the spring helped the lake recover from a multiyear drought. Wilson Lake fell below normal levels in May 2012 and experienced decreasing water levels as the drought persisted. The lake hit its lowest water level in 2015 when it dropped to 10.5 feet. The record low water levels resulted in unusable boat ramps, grounded docks, and decreased visitation.
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Release no. #PA-2016-47