Those heading to the Owyhee River will face “dangerously high flows” and frigid water temperatures as Monday as the area faces unusually high winter precipitation and snow melt.
The Vale District Bureau of Land Management announced it wasn’t closing the area below the Owyhee Dam but wanted to advise people of the conditions.
“Cold water can quickly cause hypothermia and high flows can sweep a person off their feet,” according to Nikki Haskett, the acting Malheur field.
According to the National Weather Service, the water temperature was at 42 as of Monday at 11:30 a.m.
An above-average precipitation and runoff have prompted officials with the Owyhee Irrigation District to release water to make room in the Owyhee Reservoir. In a Facebook post on Friday, March 7, the district announced flows into the Owyhee River to increase to 3,500 cubic feet per second starting Monday, March 10.
The BLM press release noted that a flow of 1,000 cubic feet per second is “challenging.” The BLM said the high volume of water washed out the rock-lined pools at Snively Hot Springs below the Owyhee Dam. The cold water temperature of the dam has dramatically reduced the pool temperature, according to the Vale BLM.
For more information about Snively Hot Springs Recreation Site, call the Vale BLM office at 541-473-3144. For information about water releases, contact the irrigation district at 541-372-3540.
News tip? Send your information to Steven Mitchell at [email protected].
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