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Devil's Lake outlets constrained by sulfate limits; DEQ and DWR outline operational trade-offs
Summary
DWR and DEQ told the committee that sulfate concentrations in the Cheyenne River system limit outlet operations from Devil's Lake; DEQ said natural flushing helps most years but dry seasons cause earlier shutdowns and only a governor-declared emergency can override water-quality standards.
The committee heard a technical briefing on Devil's Lake outlet operations and the water-quality constraints that govern when outlets can run.
Rhys Haas summarized the outlets' history and operation: the West Outlet began in 2005 at 100 cubic feet per second (cfs) and later expanded to 250 cfs; the East Outlet (completed 2012) has 350 cfs capacity. DWR must manage outlet flows to avoid downstream flooding — staff said they cannot exceed roughly 800 cfs at Cooperstown without flooding downstream…
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