The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun its annual water releases from Libby Dam to augment flows for endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon downstream.

The corps works with federal, tribal, and state fishery biologists to determine when water temperature and reservoir inflow are sufficient to begin flow augmentation.

Flows will stay between 15,500 cubic feet per second and about 20,000 cfs through the weekend, increasing to full powerhouse capacity — about 27,000 cfs — starting Monday morning.

That flow rate will last seven to 10 days before being reduced to 20,000 cfs for three days.

Flows will then be reduced toward the summer “flat flow” of roughly 7,000 cfs, which the corps expects to last from mid-June through August.

The sturgeon flow augmentation operation is part of a collaborative ongoing effort by regional biologists to enhance spawning and migration conditions for sturgeon in the Kootenai River near Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

Increased flows are intended to provide river conditions that may increase sturgeon migration to the reach of river upstream of Bonners Ferry in habitat thought to be conducive to successful spawning, egg hatching, and survival of larval sturgeon.

The Kootenai Tribe of Idaho’s conservation aquaculture program has steadily increased the number of young sturgeon in the river since 1992.

The latest model projections indicate a low chance of exceeding flood stage at Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Although June precipitation may increase flood risk from downstream tributaries to the Kootenai River not controlled by the dam, current snowpack data do not indicate a likelihood that flood stage will be reached or exceeded, according to the corps.

To see the latest flow and flood stage projections, visit 1.usa.gov/1kP1lSH.