VALLEY CITY, N.D. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is delaying the opening of its camping facilities at Lake Ashtabula, which is expected to remain at record levels through May.
The campgrounds were scheduled to open on Sunday, but the use of the emergency flood storage at Baldhill Dam has left most of the facilities flooded.
Campgrounds affected include East Ashtabula Crossing, West Ashtabula Crossing and Eggert's Landing. Mel Rieman Recreation area is minimally affected and will open May 1.
The corps hopes to open the facilities May 13, but that may change.
The lake began cresting Monday at 1,270.5 feet, about half a foot below Baldhill Dam's emergency spillway. This elevation ties the previous 2004 record of 1,270.5 feet.
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The lake is expected to remain above 1,270 feet for several days. Inflows this year were more than 10,500 cubic feet per second, while peak outflow was 7,000 cfs. The previous one-day record discharge from Baldhill Dam was 6,500 cfs, set in 2009. This year's discharge was at or above 6,500 cfs for six days, followed by several days at 6,000 cfs.
