Corps slowly releasing water from dam

BISMARCK (AP) - North Dakota's Garrison Dam has resumed water releases, which should bolster Washburn's drinking water supplies and help restart two power plants, an Army Corps of Engineers spokesman says.

The dam ceased releasing water at midafternoon Tuesday to help relieve flooding problems downstream at Bismarck.

That flooding had eased by late Thursday, and the dam began releasing 3,000 cubic feet of water per second at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Corps spokesman Paul Johnston said.

The flow increased to 6,000 cfs Friday morning, and rose again to 9,000 cfs at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Johnston said. The flow should be enough to bring the river's level back up to the intake pipes at Washburn's water treatment plant, he said.

The increased water supply also should help the Stanton and Leland Olds electric power plants resume their operations, Johnston said.

Stanton, which is owned by Great River Energy, and the Leland Olds plant, owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, shut down Thursday because they could no longer draw the river water they needed. Both plants are in Mercer County, in west-central North Dakota.

Great River spokesman Lyndon Anderson said the Stanton plant, which can generate 188 megawatts of power, should be fully operational late today.

At Washburn, the river has fallen below the intake pipes for the city's water treatment plant. Milissa Price, Washburn's city director, said the state Water Commission supplied a pump Friday that is being used to bring river water to the plant.