How To Read A Generation Schedule?

[Jack Jones]

Okay...I was looking at the dailies on the SWPA website. I can make out the TRD. I can see the hourly projected load. Can anyone explain what the numbers mean in practical terms. For example...if I were to go today between 2-6 there would be generation it seems. The projected load being anywhere from 125-150. If I'm down at the TRD, what does that mean to me, and to the fishing.

I realize this may have been covered before, but I couldn't find a thread in searching. Being new to Corp-type lakes, I'd love be be able to read this soup. Also, what would be the website for various gage readings to determine water levels on the James, etc....?

[exiledguide]

Google usgs real time water data. It will give you info on all the streams in the country. Water depth, flow etc. Some give more info than others, water temp and rainfall at the gauge on the stream. Hope this helps Jack. I havebeen using this for better than ten years both hear and in Arkansas when I lived there. I found that if the gauge at Boaz is below 3 foot it makes wading at Shelvin Rock or Delaware Town fairly easy for me, but I'm alot older than most every one I see on the river so you need to set your own deoyh and flow so you can safely wade.

[exiledguide]

Google usgs real time water data. It will give you info on all the streams in the country. Water depth, flow etc. Some give more info than others, water temp and rainfall at the gauge on the stream. Hope this helps Jack. I havebeen using this for better than ten years both hear and in Arkansas when I lived there. I found that if the gauge at Boaz is below 3 foot it makes wading at Shelvin Rock or Delaware Town fairly easy for me, but I'm alot older than most every one I see on the river so you need to set your own deoyh and flow so you can safely wade.

"set your own depth" sorry old eyes

[vanven]

I will make a run at this, TRD specifically.

The chart shows the projected generation in megawatts. TRD has 4 generators and it is generally said that the capacity of each is ~50 MW. When you look at the chart divide the number by 50 and you can approximate the number of generators. They don't always run the generators at 100%, so 50 MW could actually mean 2 generators at half output. For the sake of argument lets assume 1 generator = 50 MW. The chart breaks generation down hourly from 1am to midnight for each day. You can also derive cfs from the generation chart. Since TRD has 4 units and the max cfs is ~15k it works out that 1 units is around 4k cfs.

Taney is generally wadeable around 50 MW or 4,000 cfs depending on which chart you are looking at. The water is markedly higher and moving but there are areas between the outlets, around outlet 3, and below where you can get your feet wet. I wouldnt go charging out midstream, but most of the fringes are wadeable.

Here are a couple of threads that discuss wadeability: Here and Here. Both have good info.

One other thing to keep in mind, the water levels and bottom have dramatically changed this year with the flooding so some of the wading info available here from past years might not be accurate.

-Jerod