Is the TVA telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth?
Not only am I beginning to doubt the accuracy of the releases in the release guide but I’m really starting to question the TVA rep’s explanation of the rafter’s diversion. I haven’t been watching that intently (until now), but funny how the releases seem to be pretty predictable on the weekends.
The rep told me that they’re not getting any more water than would normally go through the turbines. Now I’m thinking maybe he meant that the CFS is the same on discharge and he happened to leave out the possibility that the discharges may be longer, more frequent, and to forget about fishing below the dam on the weekends.
We’ve had over 2 inches of rain in July and over an inch in the last 2 days. In our shallow cove, an inch in mid-summer used to equal a quick extra foot of water, even if though they usually released it later. However, after rains, the lake has continued to nudge on down without so much as a hiccup on the upside with regard to dock movement. I’m in a shallow cove and I would know. That’s new.
So perhaps the paper didn’t jump the gun on this one. They’re running a poll (don’t believe it, a web poll on this tiny town’s newspaper site is about as unscientific as it gets) this week and claiming that LBR is apparently worse-off than her sister lakes and that, “Rafters on the Ocoee also enjoyed high water the past two weekends”.
Is this contract between TVA & the Ocoee rafters available for public viewing? Now that I think about it I would not have signed a contract as a rafting co. without some sort of guaranteed CFS for so many hours on most summer weekends. Why do I feel like this is going to happen again next year?
I’m going to try to keep a diary of weekend releases for the rest of the summer. This is according to the TVA. Too bad I don’t have a dam cam to confirm! If anyone that lives below the dam would like to add their observations here, by all means post your data and I’ll splice it into one comment.
WEEKEND RELEASES:
Sat. 7/14: 8am - 4pm (later changed to 7pm cutoff) | daily avg: 200cfs in - 600cfs out (later changed to 700cfs out)
Sun. 7/15: 1pm - 8pm | daily avg: 200cfs in - 600cfs out (later changed to 500cfs out)
Sat. 7/21: 8am - 8pm | daily avg: 200cfs in - 500cfs out
Sun. 7/22: 4pm - 7pm | daily avg: 100cfs in - 300cfs out (later changed to 400cfs out)
If he TVA’s stated main purpose of releases from Lake Blue Ridge is for power generation you would think that during this time of the year it would be during the heat of the day for air conditioning. This is typically 3-5pm.
Look at the releases for yesterday, July 13th. Throughout the day the outflow was 136 cfs except for 5-6pm when it increased to 1500+. The high yesterday was about 72! What was the purpose of that release other than to supply reserves down stream?
Way to go Kip. I don’t know the extent of the TVA’s trac record, but i’m sure details are sketchy. Tough to play both sides of the fence when you have to rely on the weather. What’s on my mind are those devastating floods west of us. Only a matter of time until we get ours.
Great site.
Does TVA have an explanation for the fact that Blue Ridge is down almost to its winter level, while other lakes are full or only five feet down?
i am glad some people are still boating on the lake. as for my family we were con concerned with the safety of our children and grandchildren . we pulled out after the 4th of july. i do hope the people still boating are being very careful.
We pulled out after the 4th too, kind of over it! It looks dangerous out there.
I noticed the water level was below the end of the Dry Branch ramp last Saturday. We are still boating but a depth gauge and caution are essential. I plan to pull out on Labor Day - assuming the lake doesn’t go down another 15 feet in the next 10 days. Right now it is tracking 1/2 foot a day.
Does anyone think the TVA might raise the winter pool level some because of this? Or do they care?
When a dam is relicensed, there is an agreement on operating procedures, including recreational releases. The agreement even includes well-defined conditions when recreational releases would be cut back. However, this applies to power companies - the TVA might be “special” with its systemwide operating rules (see below). Rafting companies pay TVA $3 for each paying customer for “lost revenue.” But this is besides the point I’m trying to make.
The Ocoee flumes are running a lot, even without recreational releases, to generate power (look at the release data on the TVA’s web page for the Ocoee dams — if you see 1400-2000 cfs when a recreational release is not scheduled, it is all going down the flume to turn the generators).
I think a bigger cause for the lake levels is the TVA’s adoption of a “systemwide” management policy, where they regulate the flows of the entire system and consider the systemwide storage capacity. it is described here:
http://www.tva.gov/river/lakeinfo/systemwide.htm
If you look at the “systemwide” storage plot (based on measurements of flow of the Tennessee in Chattanooga), the black line (systemwide storage) looks remarkably similar to the pool level plotted in the Lake Blue Ridge operating guide.
In fact, ALL the headwater TVA lakes are as dry as Lake Blue Ridge. Look at the Lake Nottely and Lake Chatuge levels and operating guide — they are possibly even worse off than Lake Blue Ridge, and they are not providing recreational releases for rafters.
It’s just the effects of being 50% under our rainfall quota for the year. It stinks for all.
As far as rainfall and lake levels go, I don’t watch the lake but I do watch the river upstream. One effect of the drought is that the ground is so dry it just sucks up all the water. After a good 1″ of rain at night, I am used to seeing the Toccoa (upstream of the lake, on Aska) spike up to a rather predictable level - a bump of 150-300 cfs immediately afterwards. The few times we’ve had this much rain in the summer, it has barely increased 50 cfs, when an increase of 150-300 cfs is the norm in a “normal year.”
While it is easy to blame recreational releases on the Ocoee, I think the systemwide management policy has a lot to do with it. Read here:
http://www.tva.gov/river/lakeinfo/systemwide.htm
Compare the systemwide storage plot (black line) with the level of Lake Blue Ridge in the Operating Guide page. Similar trends.
Now go look at Lake Nottely and Lake Chatuge (in person as well as the online operating guides). They show similar trends, and are both diving towards winter pool levels.
Also, Kip earlier commented on how the lake rarely rises after a strong rain. I’ve seen the same thing on the Toccoa (upstream of the lake). Usually, 1 inch of rain in Dial at night causes a 150-300 cfs bump in flow. This summer, it has been more like 50 cfs - the river barely shows any sign that it just rained. I believe this is because the ground is so dry (and the water table lower) that the ground is sucking up a lot more water than normal after a rain event — less water is getting to the river.
It’s the drought - it stinks for all. The Toccoa is at 82 cfs — it isn’t even worth tubing at this level!
you can only hope this drought taught tva something. but doubt it.