COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN - DAMS AND SALMON
Flow Augmentation
Dworshak Dam on the Clearwater River
Upstream storage dams hold back water for flood damage reduction and other uses, interrupting the seasonal river flow patterns. Seasonal releases of water from the dams, called flow augmentation, can aid salmon migration. The Corps operates two upstream storage dams, Dworshak Dam in Idaho and Libby Dam in Montana, which are used in flow augmentation for migrating juvenile salmon in accordance with the National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion. Water is released in spring and summer months to improve flows in the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The Corps coordinates flow augmentation with the region through a Technical Management Team which meets weekly during the juvenile fish migration seasons to discuss flows and spills, and to plan operations for fish.