By Reader Staff
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host a public informational meeting Thursday, May 1 from 6-8 p.m. at the Ponderay Events Center (401 Bonner Mall Way). Representatives will share updates on the ongoing Lake Pend Oreille spring refill, snowpack and the Albeni Falls Dam spillway gate replacement project.
The Corps discovered structural defects in the dam’s Gate 3 in the fall of 2023, sparking a thorough investigation that determined all 10 gates needed to be replaced. Gate 3 will be treated with a fiber-reinforced polymer and reinstalled sometime in April, replacing the spare gate, while the first newly constructed gate is expected to arrive in 2027, according to Corps Public Affairs Specialist Nicole Celestine.
To minimize strain on the gates, the dam will perform under restricted operations and, when possible, the Corps will keep gates fully open or fully closed.
The spring refill began April 1, and the Corps plans to raise the water to the normal summer elevation band of 2,062-2,062.5 feet. Officials anticipate achieving summer pool “once the major flood risk has subsided, while also considering the limitations of the spillway gates,” according to a news release. The exact date will depend on factors such as rain and snowpack.
To attend the May 1 meeting remotely, log onto bit.ly/3E3Y32O under the meeting ID 993 235 972 476 using the passcode RQ2HN2uV.
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