The Bureau of Reclamation recently released their river flow projections for the upper Snake River. The graph shown here is for releases from Jackson Lake Dam. On approximately June 6th, releases will be ramped up from 400 cfs to 5,000 cfs. This maximum flow will be held for about one day (on June 13th approximately) and then the ramp down will begin. USBR predicts that releases will hit 3,5000 cfs on June 16th, 3,000 cfs on June 22nd, and then down to 2,800 cfs on June 29th, which Reclamation hopes to maintain until the end of the season.
These projections could mean that the tailwater reach of the Snake running from the Dam down to Palisades Creek may start to fish well by the end of the 2nd week of June. This section generally needs flows of 2,500 cfs and higher to fish well. We should be above that during the second week of June.
For the South Fork, flows peaked at around 19,000cfs last week and the ramp down for the season began shortly after that. Currently we are at approximately 13,500 cfs. The ramp down will continue at between 5 and 10 percent a day until flows hit around 8,000 cfs. It will be held at this level for the season and be raised only if there is additional irrigation demand downstream or if the reservoir fills to 100% again.
This spells good things for the South Fork. We should be in good shape for the salmon fly hatch in mid-June and, the golden stone emergence shortly thereafter, and the terrific dry fly fishing that can happen in July and early August.
Please keep in mind that these are only projections. The Bureau of Reclamation will have to make adjustment based on what happens with the weather over the next two months. Rarely do USBR projections result in exact operating plans. But it is, at least, a projection.
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