Category Archives: Astounding Facts

Stuff you’d never guess.

Astounding Facts, Boating, swimming and fishing

Lake will be coming up over 4th of July weekend

With a little less than 1.4 million gallons per second flowing out of Lake Roosevelt and down the Columbia River Tuesday morning, about 75,000 gallons per second were spilling over the top.
With a little less than 1.4 million gallons per second flowing out of Lake Roosevelt and down the Columbia River July 1, about 75,000 gallons per second were spilling over the top.

With Lake Roosevelt about 4 feet from being full, the Bureau of Reclamation expects the lake to rise starting July 3 by up to a half foot each day through the weekend.

Filling the lake lifts accumulated debris off the shores and into the water where it can be dangerous to boaters.

The Bureau of Reclamation is advising people camping along the Lake Roosevelt shoreline over the July 4 weekend to be aware of potential dangers that could exist due to rapidly rising lake levels.

“When camping along the shoreline, it is recommended that tents and other belongings be kept well away from the water’s edge,” said Public Affairs Officer Lynne Brougher. “Although the lake is a popular vacation spot, it is also a working reservoir that supplies water for hydroelectric facilities at Grand Coulee Dam which can result in rapid fluctuations.”

Brougher says campsites that are too close to the water’s edge could potentially become flooded and boats that are not properly anchored or secured could drift out into the lake and become a safety hazard.

Reclamation must adhere to the court-ordered 2008/2010 FCRPS Biological Opinion requiring the lake to be at the full pool elevation of 1,290 feet above sea level between late June and early July. It was at 1,286 feet above sea level Tuesday evening.

 

Astounding Facts, Uncategorized

How much water is coming out of that hole?

You might be seeing 2% of the river flow coming through a hole like this.
You might be seeing 2% of the river flow coming through a hole like this.

For several weeks, a powerful flow of water has been pounding the river below the dam, rushing from one outlet tube in the dam.

It causes a very slight vibration in my nearby home, so that the door between the kitchen and garage emits a high-pitched squeak. I can’t feel it or otherwise detect the vibration, but when I hear that squeak, I know that if I walk out my front door I’ll see that gigantic, thundering water spout.

So how big is it that water spout?

Flow records indicate there’s about 3.9 kcfs shooting out of that tube. That’s 3,900 cubic feet per second, or 29,000 gallons. Every second.

Water weighs something like 8 pounds per gallon, depending on the temperature, so that comes out to 232,000 pounds per second of water, under pressure, pounding the river 150 feet (guessing) below.

That’s impressive, but when you consider the total flow of the river is right now about 160 kcfs you’re only looking at about 2 percent of the river squeezing through that tube. The rest is making power through the generators.

The funny thing is that just watching 2/100ths of the river make an impressive show of power helps me appreciate the tremendous energy of the river tapped by the dam and sent out into the nation.

Astounding Facts, Boating, swimming and fishing

Where to launch your boat on Lake Roosevelt during the government shutdown

There actually is a way to get your boat onto Lake Roosevelt, even with all the National Park Service ramps barricaded during the government shutdown.
Bear in mind, ranger staffing on the 131-mile long national recreation area is minimal, so if you go, you’re on your own.

Get your boat on Lake Roosevelt despite govt shutdown.

Astounding Facts, Events, Soon, To Dos

Welcome Athletes!

Saturday, the area is treated to the display of some of the most amazing, determined seekers of perfection ever, triathletes competing in the three-pronged race that makes good use of hundreds of local miles and awesome scenery.

The Grand Columbian Triathlon’s 10th race in the coulee will bring up to a couple hundred athletes to the swim-bike-run events.

It all starts on Friday night with a spaghetti feed put on by the Rotary Club at the Church of the Nazarene from 4 to 7:30. But that’s the easy part.

The real competition starts at Spring Canyon early Saturday morning. Check out the details inside our special section below.

Astounding Facts, Boating, swimming and fishing, Places to See, To Dos

Catch the spectacular spill before it stops

As I write this, the Columbia River is flowing through Grand Coulee Dam at a rate of 195,400 cubic feet per second. And, spectacularly, about 25,000 cubic feet you can see spilling some 300 feet down the face of the dam.

At Niagara Falls you would see about 20,000 cubic feet of water falling about 70 feet.

The spill should keep going all week, adding incentive to anyone thinking about visiting the dam for the annual July 4th celebration.

A tour group leaves the big bus to peer over the edge of the dam as the Columbia roars over the top.
A tour group leaves the big bus to peer over the edge of the dam as the Columbia roars over the top.

If you’d like to check the current amount of water flowing in the river, over the dam or the level of Lake Roosevelt compared to sea level, you can do that here. (But the data fields might not line up well on a small screen of a cell phone.

Lake Roosevelt, behind the dam, is already basically full, well ahead of last year as the chart below shows.

 

chart-2