Name:   Osms - Subject:   apco winter level request and ferc Date:   7/24/2014 9:39:28 AM

Just to clarify for readers, the flood referred to by realfast occurred in late May 2003.  Heavy rains (8+") hit the Wadley area miles upstream from Lake Martin, which flooded the river in that area.  Yes, the river covered the river bridge in that area as well as river side land.  Lake Martin was close to the 490' level at the time and never went above 490' as a result of the localized Wadley flood.  If our lake had been totally empty at the time Wadley would have still flooded just as much as it did at that time.  Water spreads out and moves slowly downstream which takes time.  The elevation of Wadley is 682', almost 200' above Lake Martin, so there is no way Lake Martin could have possibly affected that flood.

BTW, when the water arrived in our lake, APCo opened flood gates to move the waters downstream.  This action resulted in a lawsuit against APCo by 12 landowners who farm the flood plains south of Tallassee.  They lost the lawsuit all the way to the Al Supreme Court.  The computerized operation of the dam will certainly help lessen the flood potential downstream by reacting quicker to upstream demands.