Dam releases increased to prevent blackouts

Releases of water from Fort Peck Dam were sharply increased Sunday to provide electricity to the upper Midwest as ice storms snapped major transmission power lines in North Dakota, South Dakota and eastern Montana over the weekend.

Releases through the two powerhouses at Fort Peck Dam near Glasgow may range from the planned winter release rate of 4,000 cubic per second (cfs) to as high as 13,000 cfs as needed to cover power loads and help prevent blackouts. River stages are forecast to rise as the water moves downstream and there is the potential for lowland flooding because of the ice on the river.

"We do have some concern that the increased releases will break ice and cause jams downstream," said Tanja Fransen, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Glasgow. "If the river backs up, flooding could come up the Milk River."

The higher release schedule will continue until crews from the Western Area Power Administration are able to repair the downed lines. High winds are hampering their efforts.