| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
My imagination?
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Date:
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8/23/2006 10:56:17 AM
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or judging by this site's lake level #, it's dropping like a rock?
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| Name: |
PartTimer
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| Subject: |
My imagination?
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Date:
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8/23/2006 11:33:53 AM
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It appears to be about a month ahead of the schedule it has followed the past couple of years. Yes, it is dropping faster than normal! Of course, we have had less rain than normal, but the level of the lake is not dictated simply by rainfall, contrary to several posters quick responses to assure us it is in God's hands. It is in APCO's hands to a very large extent, and they apparently have decided to let her down faster this year.
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| Name: |
weagle89
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| Subject: |
My imagination?
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Date:
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8/23/2006 3:47:52 PM
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Maybe they have hit upon hard times...maybe they are raising funds (selling energy earlier)) so they can make more PAC contributions to our beloved politicians....or maybe they need money to pay lawyers or PR firms to protect them from the Mobile Press-Register????
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| Name: |
BamaBob3
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| Subject: |
My imagination?
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Date:
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8/23/2006 5:36:21 PM
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We've been pretty lucky given the lack of rainfall. Another foot and you will need to be careful navigating some areas.
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| Name: |
SandyCreekman
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| Subject: |
for the past threemonths or so
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Date:
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8/23/2006 7:25:44 PM
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It's been dropping close to 3 inches per week on consistent basis --about a foot per month. I would love to see Lake Martin Living or some other publication do a feature article on water levels, covering some areas as how much APCO uses, does it vary much from summer to summer, do they vary at all during drought times, does the lake drop by any real measurable amounts during the summer simply due to evaporation, etc.
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| Name: |
au67
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| Subject: |
My imagination?
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Date:
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8/23/2006 8:41:06 PM
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Any facts to back up your claim?
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| Name: |
LifeTime Laker
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| Subject: |
Some answers.....
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Date:
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8/24/2006 9:55:42 AM
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1. APCO use varies with conditions. Higher heat = higher usage = higher production = higher water usage. The current heat waves all over the nation have required increased production for systems blessed with a large supply of hydro power. APCO will sell to other systems at times, and a rate up to ten times what we pay. Usaully these transfers are kept to about a 300 mile radious, but power can be sent to any system in the country.
2. Usage does vary during drought, but is not controlled by the local dam. All production and downstream releases are controlled by the central office in Birmingham, following guidelines set by the Corps of Engineers as to water levels. Not all releases are for power production, downstream navigation sometimes requires 'extra' water.
3. Depending on condition (heat/humidity) the lake can loose up to an inch per day due to evaporation, but this sometimes come back to us in the form of 'pop-up thunderstorms'. The rains we have had in recent weeks have NO effect on the lake. They are too localized. Just because you get a nice soaking in Sandy Creek does'nt mean that anywhere else on the lake got ANY. It takes significant rainfall upstream (north AL/GA) to make an impact. Also you must consider that despite dire warnings of appocaliptic flooding form the Global Warming Whacko's we have had NO Tropical storm, or hurricane remnants to dump massive rainfall into our watershed.
I hope this answers some of your questions. I am sure carnac will be along shortly to tell the world that I don't know what I am talking about, so I will challenge him now to find any reputable source to come here and prove me wrong. My source is a family member who has spent 20 or so of his 25+ years with APCO/Southern Co. in the hydro department, including the overseeing of the last turbine upgrade at Martin Dam, the bedrock anchoring (I can't remember the fancy name APCO used for this project, but by far one of the most interesting) of all the concrete dams in AL, and too many other projects to name here. In fact any time he is assigned to Martin for a project he stays at my house and we have LOTS of imformative conversations about many aspects of the hydro systems in AL. I have tried passing some of this knowledge along through this forum thoughout the years. Some have enjoyed it, others use it as an opportunity to flame me. Either way I hope each person gets what he wants/needs from my posts.
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| Name: |
Tallyman
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| Subject: |
Some answers.....
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Date:
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8/24/2006 10:39:15 AM
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Informative, Life Time. Thanks.
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| Name: |
PartTimer
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| Subject: |
Some answers.....
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Date:
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8/24/2006 4:43:58 PM
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Excellent informative response. Thanks!
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| Name: |
SandyCreekman
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| Subject: |
thank you
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Date:
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8/24/2006 10:49:11 PM
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I appeciate the info.
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
Very nice
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Date:
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8/25/2006 6:30:25 AM
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Makes sense to me unlike many explanations I have heard. I guess you have actually seen the inside of the dam and plant. Do you know if the plant is ever open to the public? From the old pictures it would be real neat to go inside.
My grandfather was the foreman for the old Atlanta Water Works that built the Hemphill pumping station. Every year he would come up from FL for an employee and retiree fall festival and he would take me through the pumping stations. I was just a kid then and I can remember not blinking my eyes as I went through. It was amazing.
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yea Ric, all you have to do is contact the dam and they will arrainge for a guided tour. They prefer small groups. but it is VERY interesting, I have done it several times, and learn something new each time. I had some great pics of the turbine during the rebuild processes but the idiot at Radio Shack in AC formatted the wrong hard drive on my puter and wiped out thousands of pics. If you go be sure to ask about the anchoring program. It really fascinates me that they did that to all the dams.
Heck, let me know and I will go with ya. Be kinda neat to get the public tour, and see how it compares to the 'family tour'.
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| Name: |
Carnac
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| Subject: |
Carnac comes along
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Date:
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8/25/2006 1:43:36 PM
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just as you predicted. I've got to tell you that you did an excellent job explaining the facts. I noticed that you backed off, somewhat, from your earlier statements concerning the Army Corps of Engineers setting of the lake level here on Martin.
I thought that you might be interested in Robert Allen's (ACT Basin Manager for the Corps) statement concerning the Corp's involvement here. I quote him "Lake Martin is an Alabama Power Company (APC) project. Unlike APC’s Coosa River Projects and Harris Dam on the Tallapoosa River, for which the Corps has the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of flood control operations, the Corps does not have responsibility nor exercise any control over the operation of the Lake Martin project.
Again, Lifetimer, good job (seriously).
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| Name: |
LifeTime Laker
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| Subject: |
Carnac comes along
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Date:
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8/25/2006 2:09:34 PM
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"All production and downstream releases are controlled by the central office in Birmingham, following guidelines set by the Corps of Engineers as to water levels. "
How is that backing off. I stand by my assertion that the Corps sets the guidelines. I am not exactly sure what "statutory athourity" means in this regard, cuz I only got a Judge Judy law degree.
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| Name: |
BigFoot
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| Subject: |
Very nice
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Date:
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8/25/2006 6:34:58 PM
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...be sure to get a good look at the cracks (and corresponding leaks) in the dam........have pics of those...........guess they all have them...guess they are not a threat...guess I shouldn't worry...............
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| Name: |
LifeTime Laker
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| Subject: |
Not unless you live....
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Date:
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8/25/2006 6:48:45 PM
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..... DOWNSTREAM!!! lol
Yes they all have them I am told, but it still will spook ya. And stop and pick some muscadines on the way in. They are great!!
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