Lake Level Situation - White River Chain of Lakes

[Phil Lilley]

Got an email from COE, Jim Sandberg. And just got off the phone with him to get some clarification.

Here's the email:

Just want to provide you an update and where we are on project operations
regarding lake levels. We have reached the point where the Corps must
balance the remaining storage at Table Rock and Bull Shoals. With that
being said our releases at Table Rock will not exceed what Bull Shoals can
release from its dam into the White River.

At 10:00 Table Rock's lake level is 919.13 and rising. Bull Shoals was at
686.46 and holding steady since midnight.

The main thing I want to pass on and make you aware of is that the lakes are
going to rise and our releases will be based on downstream conditions (lake
levels as well as regulating stages).

Yesterday morning the regulating stages are the following;

Stage at Newport was 15.06' and cresting (12' regulating stage).

Stage at Georgetown was at 14.3' near crest but still rising (13' regulating
stage).

From our conversation, here's what I understand.

Bull Shoals is at 70% of their flood pool and Table Rock is at only 10-15%. Beaver is at 90% and has been there for quite a while.

Now that BS is at 684 feet, The COE will start to regulate all the lakes in accordance of their pools. In another words, they will start bringing Table Rock up and not run as much into BS as they have. But if and when BS rises another 10 feet, then they will start dumping water through the whole system to keep levels at a relatively safe level.

Taneycomo- they will control flow only through generation. They will not use the flood gates unless we get a huge rain event in the near future, before they can get this water down and through the system. Only if they HAVE to. That means we will start seeing less generation possibly-- it's a wait and see where the lake levels go after today's rain.

They are only running one unit today. I thought it was because of local flood issues down lake on Taney. Jim said no, that's what they were going to run today- scheduled.

Jim didn't think Beaver got the rain that Table Rock got and BS isn't jumping up like TR.

He also said the White River, downstream, is in good shape and he thought they'd be able to start running water out of BS shortly. This will help the whole situation.

[trythisonemv]

How much rain did you get? They shut down 39hwy out aurora and 248 out of Cassville today as flat creek flooded out with the two inches of rain that fell. My store was slow due to the road closures. We got close to an inch in Mt Vernon and aurora and are expecting more heavy rain across the area tonight into tomorrow.

[terryjones]

the floodgates are open at Beaver

[Ham]

I will not at all be surprized if they have to open the flood gates on Bull Shoals this year. Woot Woot, more walleye in the White.

[Terrierman]

Drying out next week. Can't wait for some sunshine and a little humidity detox. We will all be dripping.

[5bites]

I will not at all be surprized if they have to open the flood gates on Bull Shoals this year. Woot Woot, more walleye in the White.

Do that many fish actually make it through?

[Ham]

Do that many fish actually make it through?

You'd be shocked. We caught 4 walleye in one day. I caught White Bass and saw crappie. I caught LMB within sight of the dam and caught Yellow Perch way down river that must have gone over the dam. I saw BIG catfish and gar in the Norfork after that dam had floodgates opened.

[Clay Goforth]

I'm with Ham…a few years ago when the gates were opened, we went over a couple of weeks later and caught a mess of walleye just below the dam in the C&R. Best thing, you can keep them because they are an "invasive species" at that point.