| Name: |
krc
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/2/2008 5:00:56 PM
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Once again appears that the Tallapoosa River Lakes are suffering the brunt of the drought again this year, see the link below.
URL: Lake Levels
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| Name: |
greycove
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 9:39:42 AM
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Can someone explain why every other lake on the URL above is down a foot or so except Martin and Smith?
There probably is a simple answer.
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| Name: |
UncleSam
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 10:31:59 AM
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I would bet that Martin and Smith are the two largest (by volume) of the lakes, so that probably has a lot to do with it. A few feet down for us is inconvenient, but taking that same volume from one of the smaller lakes might lower it by dozens of feet.
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| Name: |
Bob
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 11:16:15 AM
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Your argument about volume is true. But a foot is a foot and if the "pain" were being shared by all we would all be down the same amount from full. Of course it would require the release of much more water from Martin but a foot is still a d@mn foot...
This is not complicated and is being mis-managed as usual...
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| Name: |
Swimmer27
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 11:28:24 AM
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Of course Bob knows best, he always does. I still can't figure out why he doesn't run APCO. I am absolutely certain that it has nothing to do with which lakes are designated resevoirs and which are run of the river, etc.
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| Name: |
UncleSam
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 11:41:35 AM
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But the fact that taking equal amounts from all of the lakes would drain some of them before it scratched Martin does not matter, as long as it doesn't inconvenience people like Bob.
The bigger the lake, the bigger the responsibility for downstream water. If you don't want the burden of responsibility, then you have to give up the benefits that lead to that responsibility. (In simpler terms: move.)
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| Name: |
Swimmer27
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 12:10:40 PM
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Yes, its all about Bob!
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| Name: |
PC Al
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 3:03:52 PM
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We get into this same argument every year about this time and you hear the same answers from the same people. My position is the same also, and as Bob said, let all the reservoirs be down at the same vertical level from full pool. Not volume of water, but if Martin goes down 3 feet, then take Lake Wedowee down 3 feet. Same with all the reservoirs.
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| Name: |
Swimmer27
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 3:31:04 PM
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If they released 3 feet form Wedowee right now it would make a difference of a couple of inches in Martin, if that. Has it ever occured to you they may be saving that water just in case we hit really hard times again? They pay lip service to homeowners and recreational users, but they really couldn't care less if we have water to play on or not.
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| Name: |
PC Al
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 3:55:33 PM
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“They pay lip service to homeowners and recreational users, but they really couldn't care less if we have water to play on or not.”
Finally…Finally… Finally……you said something I agree with………
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| Name: |
MartiniMan
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 4:42:29 PM
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I know that some of the reservoirs are "run of the river" which means they let water out as fast as it comes in and they are very stable. Martin is the largest lake on the Tallapoosa and is used for hydro generation so it probably has more releases and is more volatile. It seems to me that other than the run of the river reservoirs that the drop in levels should be more comparable for the remaining reservoirs that feed the Alabama River (ours and the Coosa). Would be interesting to see an explanation.
For the most part my sense is that APCO has been much more proactive about water level management than they were last year. It may be that for a while we seemed to be in a more typical weather pattern (afternoon thunderstorms with occasional longer rain events) and they were more aggressive about power generation. I am hopeful that with precipitation levels down again that they will continue to limit the releases which has us only dropping 0.1 feet every few days as opposed to daily (when we have no rain and they run 2-3 turbines).
Maybe I am wrong about this, but my attitude is I am grateful for the dramatic improvement over last year when I took my boat out for the year after July 4. While the drought is not as severe on our watershed it is still extreme and APCO has done a better job managing it. Lets hope they ask for the same rule curve modifications as last year which will have a big impact on getting to full pool again in the spring.
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| Name: |
Swimmer27
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 5:36:55 PM
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I agree Martini, but don't forget that last year several feet of our water was sent downstream for the dredging project, much to the chagrin of several members. If you add that to our current situation you might realiaze that APCO was doing the best they could with the situation at the time. Also, there was several months between the application for variance and the corps response. Actually had APCO not finally announced they were going to do it anyway, the corps might still have not responded.
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| Name: |
Bob
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 5:51:44 PM
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A foot is still a foot and it makes no difference the size of the lake when measuring the drop from full pool. Of course a larger lake releases more water to drop its foot. You guys who don't think that this is fair would not like the flat tax either because everybody pays the same percentage. You would argue that the more you make the higher percentage you should pay, all the while, ignoring that a fixed percentage of a larger pie is in fact always larger...
APCO is horrible at management and the only reason they did anything was the work of some local organizations...thats it...they only understand political pressure...
I know its complicated and not "progressive" but lowering everyone the same distance from full pool is the most fair way to manage the levels...
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| Name: |
Swimmer27
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 6:00:13 PM
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Nobody ever said life is fair Bob and I have never seen a Midway on the water.
As for me not supporting the flat tax, you are absolutely correct. I support the FAIR TAX, which is also a fixed percentage, but on what you spend, not what you make!!
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| Name: |
Bob
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 6:32:23 PM
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Say hi to the boys over at APCO for me.
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| Name: |
UncleSam
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 6:49:01 PM
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It is possible that they are draining each lake fairly and equally, but that the measuring stick they are using isn't vertical feet; maybe it's percentage of volume.
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| Name: |
Swimmer27
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/4/2008 7:28:14 PM
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I will, I communicate with one of them daily, but she wouldn't like you calling her a boy!!
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| Name: |
MartiniMan
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/5/2008 10:09:38 AM
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Dropping Wedowee won't help us anyway as it is not on the Coosa or Tallapoosa rivers. The only reservoir upstream of Martin is Harris and it is almost 3 feet below full pool so it seems that they are lowering it only slightly less than Martin. They really don't have any choice on the run of the river reservoirs unless they ask for a variance to increase flows. Again that would only help us if it is a river on the Coosa. Our problem is we and the Coosa are the main sources to the ALabama River and there are some flow requirements that they use stored water to meet. Store more water in the winter, hold onto it more in the spring and early summer and try to reduce demand in the Alabama River, all will help to maintain levels in Martin. How to do this is another question.
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| Name: |
MartiniMan
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/5/2008 10:12:59 AM
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I remember it all to well and I too was chagrined and would have hoped that the corps would not do a dredging project in the middle of a drought. However, considering weather forecasters can't tell us with any certainty what will happen with the weather three days from now I suppose we can cut them a little slack. It seems like they learned a hard lesson and will in the future schedule dredging projects when flows are up. I am glad APCO was proactive with the variance and hope they just announce the same this year.
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| Name: |
Swimmer27
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/5/2008 10:30:02 AM
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You also have to remember that that dredging project was part of a state recruiting effort for a new industry on the river. Of course some argued that it was only a 9 million dollar investment, so it shouldn't matter because that was small for an industry...lol.
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| Name: |
longtimer
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/5/2008 10:42:26 AM
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Wedowee is just another name for Harris; they're the same lake.
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| Name: |
Webmaster
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| Subject: |
Lake Names
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Date:
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8/5/2008 10:45:39 AM
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Lake Wedowee and Lake Harris are one in the same and it is on the Tallapoosa River. Lake Harris is the official name given by Alabama Power but the name Wedowee stuck because of the adjacent small town of Wedowee. Actually many locals know it as Lake Wedowee but if you ask them where Lake Harris is, some have never heard of Harris.
I find this all over and a couple of others in our vicinity:
Lake Thurlow is nicknamed Lake Tallassee because it is adjacent to Tallassee.
Lake Eufaula's official name is Lake Walter F. George. That one is known as Lake George on the Georgia side but Lake Eufaula on the Alabama side.
On the other side of Georgia, there is Thurmond Lake which had a name changed by the Feds a few years back to honor SC senator Strom Thurmond. People on the Georgia side still call is Clarks Hill Lake.
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| Name: |
Swimmer27
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/5/2008 11:14:42 AM
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Dang Martini, now you had to go and ruin the fun with facts. I wasn't going to point out the level of Harris/Wedowee, but let Bob and others continue their diatribe while snickering under my breath (and maybe just little antagonizing on my own). I am still trying to figure out how APCO managed to maitain the waterways of the entire southeast for a hundred years or so, before they had bob here to enlighten them.
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| Name: |
Webmaster
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels
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Date:
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8/5/2008 11:15:52 AM
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I added volume (acre feet) to the state page (link below). I don't have data for all lakes but it gives you an idea as to the volume. You will see that all lakes on the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers (except Lake Weiss) pale in comparison to Lake Martin in volume.
The small volume (run of the river) lakes average depths are pretty shallow too. Last year when Lake Martin's water was down 13 feet in October, Lay Lake was down three feet. When flying over Lay Lake you could see a larger percentage of the lake area was showing brown banks than did Martin.
URL: Alabama Lake Volumes
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| Name: |
Maverick
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels - Swimmer27
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Date:
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8/5/2008 5:40:57 PM
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There you go attacking Bob again. (L.T.L. aka Swimmer27)
From reading Bob's post did not see him attack you in any manner, but you just cannot seem to let go and let bygones be bygones can you.
Sure you have the right to your opinion, but based on your derogatory responses to Bob's post all you are doing is looking to start up the crap - AGAIN.
Bob and everyone else has a right to voice their opinion on this forum without being chastised or personally attacked by yourself or anyone else. And do not play the old well "Bob Started it Crap".
Do not get me wrong I am not taking up for Bob here at all. And I am not personally attacking you either, just stating my opinion as an outsider looking in as I have no dog in this fight.
I can almost guarantee you that Bruce and the vast majority of the forum readers, including myself, have enjoyed not having to read others posts attacking you or you attacking others. But looks like you just cannot lie low and let bygones be bygones, can you. But have to continually try to stir the puddin and start up all the crap with Bob once again.
Final word is learn to "Turn the Other Cheek" and at the end of the day you will always be a better person for doing such than those who are so bitter they cannot find such forgiveness within their soul.
Just my 2 cents you can take or leave it. Your decision not mine.
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| Name: |
Swimmer27
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels - Swimmer27
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Date:
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8/5/2008 10:14:06 PM
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Well Mav there are other forums than this one and the same folks post to them also at times. At times even using the alias ".LTL." in order besmirch my reputation. In fact just today it has happened. I just brought it home for them to see.
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| Name: |
HOT ROD
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| Subject: |
Lake Levels - Swimmer27
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Date:
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8/6/2008 1:34:32 PM
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Well at least you've stopped lying about your true identity; that was getting old. Funny though, since it made it look like everybody knew who you were, except you!
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