High river flow, cold water pose risks to Owyhee River users
By Mindy Gould on Monday, March 10th, 2025 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
VALE(Released from Vale District BLM)-Bureau of Land Management Vale District is advising visitors of dangerously high flows and very cold water temperatures on the Owyhee River below the Owyhee Dam.
“We are not closing the area, but we do want to advise the public of the conditions,” Acting Malheur Field Manager Nikki Haskett said. “Cold water can quickly cause hypothermia and high flows can sweep a person off their feet.”
Unusually high winter precipitation and runoff has led to early releases of water from the Owyhee Dam, which is owned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and managed by the Owyhee Irrigation District. The BLM Vale District manages the recreation corridor along the river.
Flows above 1,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) are considered challenging. Flows this week been in excess of 2,000 CFS and could exceed 3,000 CFS next week. Additionally, the high volume of water has washed out the rings of Snively Hot Springs Recreation Site and the cold water temperature has dramatically reduced the pool temperature.
For information about Snively Hot Spring Recreation Site, call Vale BLM at 541-473-3144. For information about water releases and flows, visit www.owyheeirrigation.org.
Photo Credit from Vale District BLM
