Flood gates

[Nitroman]

After all these years did they finally hire someone with some " COMMON SENSE & LOGICAL THINKING " to push the buttons ?????? 

[vernon]

5 minutes ago, Nitroman said:

After all these years did they finally hire someone with some " COMMON SENSE & LOGICAL THINKING " to push the buttons ?????? 

Nope. Reacting to "water on the ground".

That's always the policy. 

It's all dictated by congressional law. 

No arbitrary decision making is ever involved. 

[LD Fisher]

God help us then!  I just can't understand they're thinking and would really like to see them be pro active when gulley washers are forecast and begin to transpire!

[LD Fisher]

Just to follow up.  I couldn't get my boat off the lift this winter and now I bet I'll have to use my john boat just to get to my dock!!!  Gonna try to get down this weekend to fish in the coming rain and hope I hit the sweet spot between the low and high water!!!!! 

[Phil Lilley]

Couple of things...

I don't know who KY3 talked to (I doubt anyone at the Corps) but there's 3 units running and to make up for the 4th unit they are running 5 flood gates equaling 4 units - 13,400 cfs.  They are not running water in anticipation of rain coming.

OK... you say you want the Corps to release lots of water because of the coming rain.  How much?  My ramps are within 18 inches of going under.  Close my dock?  Other docks?  There's houses that flood in Branson if they run too much more water.  Flood those houses in anticipation of rain coming?  And if it doesn't rain, Corps gets racked over the coals, this time by the higher ups because they flooded someone's home for nothing.

My dock?  I'm willing to make the sacrifice.  But wash my dock away?  

It's a no win situation but I understand and agree with the present policy.  And right now I'm saying that even though my heart is in my stomach, seeing the forecast.  

 

[Flysmallie]

Hang in there Phil. We are all hoping it's less than what they are saying. 

But it puts my daughter whining about getting rained on at prom this Saturday in a new perspective. 

[LD Fisher]

Phil, I understand and feel for you in the current situation.  My point is that while the purpose of the dams on the White is flood control, they don't have to wait until 6 1/2 inches of rain has finished before they step up the release!!  We would all benefit if they could find a way to anticipate events like this.  That would allow increased flow out of the dam but spread it over a longer period ( if they would start the release before the rain hits ). That would keep the flow more manageable for you and those below the dam and reduce the "hold back" or the length of the hold back for Tablerock.  Nobody like water levels or fluctuations that affect their business or pleasure!

[MOPanfisher]

Was it last year that LOZ released a bunch of water in anticipation of a big flood.  Except that flood didn't happen, and Ameren was asking the COE to release water from Truman to bring the level back up.  If the COE could predict the amount, location and duration of rainfall events that accurately they would put all the meteorologists off the news channels.  When heavy rains happen the basic principal is to reduce outflow so that flooding on the rivers below the dam is not made worse, then when the downstream conditions allow releases are increased based on conditions, and current lake level, inflow etc.  The lake is designed to fill up and hold the inflows, the vast majority of the time it works perfectly, only a very few times will long term heavy precipitation outpace the ability to hold the water and release it in a controlled manner.  Nobody, including the COE wants to see the lake at 100% or more of capacity, or to see releases that put water into homes or close own businesses either down stream or upstream.

[Phil Lilley]

Wish they could too. 

I go back to the story I've told several times.  It has some bearing on what you're saying.

2011.  We'd been hit by the most flow out of TR dam since it was built.  They'd gotten ahead of it and the lake was dropping.  Less than a week later, they forecasted another 5 inches of rain over the entire White River watershed.  We'd already been flooded - 3 units and a badly damaged dock.  Wouldn't have hurt us if they brought it back up and ran it in anticiaption of the new waves of water coming.

It never rained.  At all.  I remember the weather map and all the red over our area. 

Now if they made more room for this kind of weather event... lowered the pool in Beaver, Table Rock.  That would help.  I think.

Wasn't the level of TR something like 907 ft just before one of the big floods?  2007?  Heck, I'm getting the flood years all mixed up now... they just keep coming.  And each is bigger than the last.

[MOPanfisher]

Rain events seem to be going more that direction in the last several years, larger rain events leading to faster and more severe flooding.  I don't know if it is climate change, loss of vegetation that slows down run off, or more concrete and asphalt to funnel more water off quicker, or all the above and then some.  Maybe I am just getting old as I keep saying things like "back when I was a kid",.