As winter settles in across the region, Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) will begin lowering water levels at its hydroelectric reservoirs to prepare for melting snow and precipitation during the spring of 2023. UPPCO’s hydroelectric project licenses are issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and require these water level changes.
Silver Lake, Hoist, Victoria Dam, Bond Falls and Lake Gogebic reservoirs will be lowered during the month of January. Prickett Dam reservoir levels will be lowered beginning in February. This change in reservoir levels may create unstable or unsafe ice conditions.
“Water level changes can lead to unsafe ice conditions due to the formation of an air gap beneath the ice,” according to Brett French, UPPCO Vice President of Business Development and Communications. “Increased water flowing through the reservoirs and river systems may also cause the ice to deteriorate, creating unsafe ice conditions. We are asking everyone to exercise caution around the hydroelectric reservoirs and nearby rivers, lakes and streams during the winter months.”
UPPCO’s hydroelectric reservoirs are expected to begin returning to their normal water levels during the month of April, depending upon the rate of snow melt and the onset of spring.
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