Water levels at Lost Creek and Applegate lakes are already far below their average, part of a broader pattern as Oregon heads into what could be a very dry summer.
Kevin McAllister, a civil engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers, said officials are preparing for a difficult year.
“The last poor water year that we had was in 2021," McAllister said. "We are already below where we were at that year."
Snowpack has by now been depleted, which typically would not happen for several months.
The Army Corps’ primary goal is to help fish populations, which requires a careful balance of water releases from reservoirs. Officials are aiming to avoid major salmon die-offs, particularly among Chinook, which are more sensitive to dam operations.
McAllister said most of the reservoir releases occur during May and June to help the emigrating spring Chinook salmon. This year, those releases are expected to drop off faster than before.
"All these flows are recommendations, and we will adjust them in real time based off of what we are actually seeing in the basin," he said. "If, let's say, the flows come in higher, lower, etc."
Greg Taylor, a fisheries biologist, said officials do not anticipate problems for cities that rely on the Rogue River for their water supplies, including Grants Pass.
“These are reduced from normal," said Taylor. “They're still going to be well in excess of the kind of flows that you would see coming into the dam, and I'm not anticipating any impacts.”
Corps staff are also reaching out to businesses operating downstream on the Rogue River, like jet boat tour companies, to discuss potential impacts. Staff said they reached out to Hellgate Jetboat Excursions a few months ago and have since contacted more than 100 other stakeholders.
