Daily Flow Fluctuations, Juniata River at Huntingdon

[troutbert]

Does anyone know what causes the big daily flow variations on the Juniata River at Huntingdon?

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?01559000

At first I thought it might be caused by releases from Raystown Dam, but this gauge is at the lower edge of Huntingdon, so it's upstream from the Raystown Branch confluence.

 

[Acristickid]

Hummm

 

[sapper6]

This morning I noticed that the gauge on the Lehigh at Walnutport took a huge jump for no apparent reason. I have been checking occassionaly since and haven't been able to connect with the site. Seems like they are having some technical difficulties.

btw, aristick, I used to be a huge Jim Bibby fan back in the day.

 

[littlejuniata]

I noticed yesterday that they are releasing water from the dam, it is down over a foot which is a ton of water, so that would cause the water upstream to raise at least a little?? Water is really warm for Sept

 

[troutbert]

I believe the gauge is above the confluence of the Raystown Branch, so releases from Raystown would have no effect. Something further upstream must be causing the fluctuations.

It's not that it's IMPORTANT. Just curious. It's a mystery to me.

 

[JRA]

I "hear" that there is a hydroelectric plant in the Huntingdon area. When fuel prices get high enough the plant converts from fossil fuels to hydroelectric generation of power. They pump water out of the river at night into a reservoir then release the water through turbines during the day when electric power is needed. Thus, you see the cyclic rise and fall of the water every 12 hours. I have only seem them do his one time before when gasoline was $3.75 per gallon about 5 years ago.

I have not been able to confirm this.

There is a similar generation plant at Muddy Run on the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County that I have seen in action exactly the same way.

Skip Sanderson
Juniata River Adventures, Inc.
President

 

[JRA]

I did some research. I found a post from someone in 2010 that stated that the dam at Warrior Ridge was indeed reducing flow of water through their plant. According to the post, fish commission attorneys were looking into illegal activity. If you have a contact with your local Waterways Patrolman you might want to ask him what is going on.

Skip Sandeson
Juniata River Adventures, Inc.

 

[troutbert]

A thread brought back from 2008!

The flow fluctuations are caused by hydro generation at the Warrior Ridge Dam, located below Petersburg, about 2-3 miles upstream from Huntingdon.

 

[jabink84]

locally known as the petersburg power dam. That is where the flucuations come from as stated.

putting in at it and floating down to huntingdon is good fishing.