COUGAR, Wash. — PacifiCorp will be temporarily lowering Yale Reservoir to support flow requirements downstream of Merwin Dam. As a result of this action, the Yale Park boat ramp on Yale Reservoir will be closed starting November 28, 2023.
Typically, Merwin outflows this time of year are met by moving water from Swift Reservoir through the hydroelectric projects to Merwin Dam for release. To support an ongoing dam safety project on Swift dam, Swift reservoir has been drafted approximately 50 feet, and no water is available for downstream use. Water from Yale and Merwin reservoirs is being used to meet the license requirement.
PacifiCorp regrets the inconvenience this may cause to boaters planning to use the facility. The length of this closure is unknown and dependent on the return of higher natural inflows, and on the reduction of downstream minimum flow requirements in mid-December. During the closure, Merwin reservoir remains accessible at the Speelyai Park boat ramp.
As a reminder, reservoir levels are always subject to fluctuation depending on the water management and power generation needs of our customers and PacifiCorp does not guarantee what daily water levels may be in the reservoirs.