EVERETT—Recent heavy rain has filled the Snohomish County PUD’s Spada Lake Reservoir and caused water levels to reach the Culmback Dam morning glory spillway today, December 10. This is the first time the Spada Lake reservoir has spilled since 2021 as the water level rose 15 feet over the past 48 hours.
Water traveling through the spillway is discharged into the Sultan River, where it flows several miles to join the Skykomish River at the city of Sultan. Areas downstream of Culmback Dam should expect to see a rise in river levels due to the spill and an increase in river currents. The spill event is expected to add to the flooding event caused by the Skykomish River.
The PUD has staff on-site monitoring the dam and spillway and is working in coordination with officials from the city of Sultan on flood control efforts.
“We are closely monitoring flow rates and river levels and are in contact with local agencies to provide updates as needed,” said Andrew McDonnell, PUD Manager Natural Resources.
Much like the extra drain at the top of a bathroom sink, the spillway allows excess water to safely exit the reservoir before it can reach the top of the dam, helping ensure dam integrity.
“The dam and reservoir are safe, and the spillway is performing exactly as designed,” said Scott Spahr, PUD Manager Generation Operations & Engineering. “It’s a testament to all the safety features built into the dam.”
The PUD is operating its Jackson Hydroelectric Project, located seven miles downstream of the reservoir, at full capacity to aid in flood control.
Culmback Dam was built in 1965 and enlarged in 1984 to create the Spada Lake reservoir, which provides drinking water to most of Snohomish County and carbon-free hydropower to more than 56,000 Snohomish County homes. Each year the dam is reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and has always received FERC’s highest safety rating. The PUD monitors the dam 24 hours a day and conducts regular and extensive on-site safety checks.
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
