Unusually hot and dry weather continue to affect lake levels on Alabama Power reservoirs on the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Black Warrior rivers. On most large storage lakes, levels are about 2 feet below summer pool.   Levels on Smith and Harris Lakes are considerably lower.

Drought operations were anticipated in mid-May and all hydrogeneration was reduced in order to conserve water for use later in the year, should it be needed.  Over the past 12 weeks, the water released from Alabama Power reservoirs has been reduced to the minimum amounts required by the company’s federal hydroelectric project licenses.   Additionally, in late June, because of continuing dry conditions, the company indefinitely suspended weekend recreational releases of water from Jordan Dam.

Alabama Power is required to make certain releases from the lakes to meet requirements for navigation, fisheries, water supply, water quality and boating.    Depending on rainfall, lake levels can be impacted by these requirements.
 
Alabama Power attempts to balance all the various requirements for water releases and lake levels to meet the multiple uses of the hydroelectric projects.  In addition, Alabama Power also works to accommodate special flow requirements, such as recreational releases. The company also conducts periodic drawdowns of some lakes for control of nuisance plants, and to provide opportunities for pier, boathouse and seawall repairs.

For weeks, drought conditions have resulted in lower-than-normal inflows into Alabama Power lakes on the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Black Warrior rivers. Since mid-June, lake levels have been below normal on the Coosa system, and the continued dry weather has caused lakes on all three river systems to drop. Without additional rainfall, lake levels on all three river systems will continue to fall through the summer.
As of Aug. 10, here are the lake levels on the reservoirs that are most affected by the drought conditions:

Weiss Lake  – 561.7 feet or 2.3 feet below summer pool
Neely Henry Lake – 506.3 feet or 1.7 feet below summer pool
Lake Logan Martin – 463.0 feet or 2.0 feet below summer pool
Lake Harris – 789.3 feet or 3.7 feet below summer pool
Lake Martin – 487.4 feet or 2.5 feet below summer pool
Smith Lake – 499.3 feet or 7.1 feet below summer pool

Summer pool is the maximum lake level under normal inflow conditions.  Normally, lakes reach summer pool around May 1 and begin to drop in mid to late summer.

These six lakes are the most affected by the drought conditions because they serve as water storage reservoirs. During heavy rains, most of these lakes store water to help prevent flooding downstream. On the other hand, during times of drought, their levels can drop as water is released to meet flow obligations downriver.  It is possible that these lakes could be 2 feet to 3 feet lower at the end of September.

In contrast, the levels of “run-of-the-river” reservoirs, such as Lay Lake, Lake Mitchell and Lake Jordan, tend to be less affected by drought conditions because they are fed by the required flows from upstream storage dams.

Whatever the reservoir, people with boats and other water-related equipment and facilities should always be alert to changing conditions and take the necessary steps to protect their property.

For updated information about specific lake levels, call Alabama Power's automated Reservoir Information System at 1-800-LAKES11 (1-800-525-3711).