Lake Pend Oreille water level to rise this week

The level of Lake Pend Oreille will increase 1.5-2.5 feet by the end of February as the outflow from Albeni Falls Dam is decreased to assist with downstream maintenance work, water managers announced Wednesday.

At the request of Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will store water in Lake Pend Oreille to ease the Bureau of Reclamation’s drum gate maintenance at Grand Coulee Dam.

The lake elevation was 2,052 feet and rising on Wednesday and the outflow from the dam was poised to decrease from 19,500 cfs.

The Corps had set a maximum level of 2,052 this winter for Riley Creek bank stabilization work. Thawing roads have stopped that project, officials said.