Sheriff warns about high water flow from American Falls Reservoir

The Power County Sheriff’s office has issued a warning that high amounts of water will be flowing from the American Falls Reservoir and down the Snake River starting March 19.

In a press release sent out Thursday Sheriff Jim Jeffries said that on March 19 the Bureau of Reclamation will start releasing water from the American Falls Dam at 20,000 cubic feet per second. The public is advised to be ready for high water flows both below the dam and on the reservoir.

The Bureau of Reclamation has also recommended that people stay off the reservoir at this time because of the water flows and shifting ice. The sheriff’s office says that people who venture onto the reservoir will be doing so at their own risk and that rescuers may not be able to reach them in an emergency.