ROCK ISLAND, ILL. – Recent heavy rainfall and increased inflow into Lake Red Rock from its 12,323-square-mile watershed on the Des Moines River is causing the pool level to rise. Pending additional heavy rainfall, the pool is expected to peak at approximately 761.6 feet on June 3, and then begin to fall.
Today, the Lake Red Rock pool level is at 757.6 feet and will rise over the next several days. The lake is currently storing roughly 563,300 acre feet of water (approximately 183.5 billion gallons) with about 26 percent of flood storage used, and is operating within the guidelines set forth in the Lake Red Rock Regulation Plan.
At 761.6 feet, the pool submerges approximately 2,000 acres of Corps flowage easement lands and there are minor impacts to recreational facilities. At 761.6 feet, Lake Red Rock stores approximately 700,000 acre feet of water (228 billion gallons) and uses 35.5 percent of its available flood storage. The record high stage at Lake Red Rock is 782.67 feet occurring on July 13, 1993. At 782.67 feet, Lake Red Rock stores approximately 1,790,000 acre feet of water (583 billion gallons).
With severe flooding on the Mississippi River, Lake Red Rock outflows were adjusted on April 19 and held steady beginning April 27 to assist in reducing historic Lower Mississippi River flood stages. This helped lower flood heights along the Upper Mississippi River from Keokuk, Iowa, to St. Louis, and on the Lower Mississippi River to Cairo, Ill., and vicinity.
Web Links:
• Lake Red Rock forecast: http://www2.mvr.usace.army.mil/WaterControl/Districts/MVR/Forecast/pelforecast.html
• Lake Red Rock Fact Sheet: http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Brochures/documents/LakeRedRockFactSheet.pdf
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District: http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/
Release no. 11-05-20