CONCORD – Controlled releases of water will be made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, from Knightville Dam and Littleville Lake Dam in Huntington this weekend to provide adequate river flows for recreational canoeing, kayaking and rafting, according to Corps of Engineers officials.
The Corps of Engineers will provide a water release flow from Knightville Dam of approximately 900 cubic feet per second (cfs) starting Saturday at 5:30 a.m. for the 61st annual Westfield River Wildwater Races, according to Park Ranger Edwin Lippman at Knightville Dam in Huntington. At this time, it appears spring runoff will be sufficient to sustain this flow for most, in not all, of the rest of the weekend. Also, a flow of approximately 300 cfs will be released from Littleville Lake Dam during those days and times.
Knightville Dam, on the Westfield River in Huntington, was constructed at a cost of $3.3 million. The 1,200-foot-long, 150-foot-high dam can impound a 49,000-acre-foot reservoir (equivalent to 15.8 billion gallons of water). Since its construction in 1941, the project has prevented flood damages of $336.4 million ($643.7 million adjusted for inflation). More than 41,000 annual visitors enjoy the variety of recreational pursuits available at Knightville, including picnicking, hiking, fishing, hunting, horseback riding and cross country skiing and snowmobiling in season. For up-to-date information call the Park Ranger staff at Knightville Dam at (413) 667-3430 or visit the website at http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/KnightvilleDam.aspx.
Depending on the weather, the Corps anticipates about 200 to 300 people taking advantage of the water release for recreational purposes. The water releases that support these recreational activities are subject to an adequate volume of water being available for release and could be cancelled during low flow or high flow events, or storm events.
Littleville Lake, on the Middle Branch of the Westfield River in Huntington and Chester, is 1,360 feet long, 164 feet high and cost $6.8 million to construct. The reservoir can hold a 23,000-acre-foot pool or 7.5 billion-gallons. It has prevented flood damages of $151.5 million ($223.7 million adjusted for inflation) since it was placed in operation in 1965. The reservoir area offers many recreational opportunities including picnicking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, boating, nature study and cross country skiing and snowmobiling (on marked trails) in season, and attracts more than 39,000 visitors annually.
For details on Littleville Lake call the Park Ranger stafff at (413) 667-3656 or visit the website at:
http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/LittlevilleLake.aspx.
The Westfield River Canoe Club will hold their Westfield River Wildwater Race on Saturday, with the awards ceremony being held at Strathmore Park in Russell. Both the novice and expert races will be held on the same day. Registration for the novice race will open at 8 a.m., with the race starting at 10 a.m. at the DPW yard (below the green bridge) in Huntington. The expert registration will open at noon, with the race beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the base of the Knightville Dam (off Route 112). For more information you can visit the website at www.westfieldriverraces.com or contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at (413) 636-2397. Registration forms are available to download from the website.
