The waters at Lake Red Rock are on the rise, and approaching all-time highs. A forecast crest of 776 feet above sea level, expected this weekend, would be one of the top ten highest levels recorded at the dam in its 50 years of existence. Assistant Operations Manager Perry Thostenson says the Army Corps of Engineers will release water at 50,000 cubic feet per second beginning Friday. He says the move has closed campgrounds downstream at Howell Station and Ivans, and will have impacts on low lying areas ahead on the Des Moines River. The planned increase, which is being done in accordance with the water control plan, is due to the prolonged period of heavy rainfall upstream of Lake Red Rock. The last time releases from Lake Red Rock were at these levels was during July and August of 2010.

The Corps of Engineers campgrounds located below the Red Rock Dam, including Howell Station and Ivans, will be closed to the public until further notice. Corps of Engineers campgrounds on the upstream/lake side of the dam are still accepting camping reservations which can be made through the National Recreation Reservation Service (NRRS) online at www.recreation.gov or by calling toll free 877-444-6777. A line of buoys will be placed on the lake approximately a half-mile west of the dam. No boats will be allowed beyond the buoy line for safety reasons.

Several inches of precipitation has fallen in the southern half of Iowa since mid-May, along the Des Moines River basin both upstream and downstream from the dam. Between 8 to 10 inches of rain has been recorded in most of south central Iowa since May 16th. Hear more about the latest relating to area flooding and Lake Red Rock on Thursday’s Let’s Talk Pella.