Corps reduces water flow; county and city doing OK

Drought continues to plague the upper Savannah River Basin causing water levels at United States Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs to recede.

Hydrologists with the corps' Savannah District announced last week that water levels at Lake Hartwell and Clark's Hill Lake reached the second drought trigger level on Wednesday, August 15. Currently, Hartwell averages approximately 20 percent of normal inflow, while the inflow for Clark's Hill is about 40 percent of normal.

Precipitation forecasts show little rain for the region in the upcoming weeks.

"Unfortunately, we expect the reservoirs to continue their decline, without tropical storm activity," said Stan Simpson, a water control manager for the corps. "Since early spring, we've witnessed another severe drought pattern developing."

Simpson and other water managers accurately predicted that the reservoir system would reach Drought Contingency Level 2 near mid-August. It must be noted, however, that the implementation of the new Drought Contingency Plan slowed the rate of decline and extended the date for reaching Level 2 by several weeks.

Presently, Simpson predicts that the reservoirs' levels will drop approximately five inches per week unless significant storms pass through the watershed.

In Drought Contingency Level 2, corps workers further limit outflow from Thurmond Dam to a weekly average of 4,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), while Level 1 restricts the maximum weekly average to 4,200 cfs.

During August, weekly outflows from Thurmond normally averages 6,720 cfs. Reducing outflow decreases the amount of electricity that can be generated through the dams but conserves more water in the reservoirs.

In addition, the corps of engineers uses its pump-back capabilities at Russell Dam, whenever possible, in order to conserve more water in the three-reservoir system. Water managers also strive to keep the levels of the reservoirs balanced.

In light of the low water levels, corps officials are urging the public to use extreme caution when boating, swimming or fishing during the next few weeks.

"As the reservoir levels decline, underwater obstructions will be closer to the surface or already exposed," said a spokesman for the corps. "This is particularly dangerous for boaters and skiers, who are encouraged to remain within the channel markers."

Park rangers likewise report that the designated swimming areas have lost most of their water. "Swimming outside these areas can be dangerous," according to the corps spokesman. "All visitors should wear a life jacket when swimming, boating or fishing."

He added that dock owners may need to adjust their docks ever further as water levels recede.

In her comments, Pam Knox, assistant state climatologist, said, "With all of this heat, the amount of water evaporating off of the reservoirs must be phenomenal. It's not surprising that lake levels have reached Drought Con- tingency Level 2."

She also noted that Georgia has been required to release more water than usual from its reservoirs due to the drought in Alabama. "Their drought is worse than ours - if there were a higher category than Drought Level 4, some parts of Alabama would be in it.

"It's a tough thing - we don't want to let our water go because it will make our situation worse, but Alabama is in dire need."

Since January 1, 2007, the Augusta area has received 22.11 inches of rain to date. The normal amount of rainfall for this period is 30.26 inches, which means the area is currently showing a rainfall deficit of 8.15 inches.

Looking at the overall picture, David Stooksbury, state climatologist and a professor of engineering and atmospheric sciences at UGA, said, "Bountiful rains have greatly improved conditions in southeast and coastal Georgia. Parts of inland southeast Georgia, 12 counties in all, are no longer classified as being in a drought.

"Of Georgia's remaining 147 counties, drought conditions are exceptional in 37 (northwest and southwest Georgia); extreme in 55; severe in 16; moderate in 21; and mild in 10; with eight considered abnormally dry."

Those counties experiencing exceptional drought conditions are Baker, Bartow, Calhoun, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clay, Cobb, Coweta, Dade, Decatur, Dougherty, Douglas, Early, Floyd, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Grady, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Miller, Mitchell, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, Troup, Walker, and Whitfield.

In further remarks, the climatologist said, "With temperatures hovering around 100 and many regions getting little to no rain over the past seven to 10 days, soil moisture levels are dropping quickly statewide.

"Soil moisture lost to evaporation and plant use is now running between one-quarter and one-third of an inch per day," he explained. "If the August trend of hot days with little to no rain continues, the regions in relatively good shape could find conditions deteriorating quickly."

Lincoln and Wilkes are among those Georgia counties currently experiencing severe drought conditions. The other counties are Atkinson, Clinch, Crawford, Crisp, Dooley, Greene, Irwin, Jasper, Macon, Monroe, Peach, Putnam, Taliaferro, and Turner.

"Short-term moisture deficits have caused drought conditions to deteriorate, especially in the central and southern Savannah River Valley," Stooksbury said. "Rainfall over the past month has been between 50 percent and 70 percent of normal."

Most parts of south-central, westcentral, north-central, and northeast Georgia are experiencing extreme drought. With little rain and 100-degree temperatures, several streams in the area are nearing record low levels.

"No widespread relief is foreseeable," said Stooksbury. "In August and September, the best hope for widespread drought relief is from tropical weather systems. Without these, we can expect the drought to worsen over the next two months."

Concerning the availability of water in Lincoln County, Stanley Parton, water department superintendent for the City of Lincolnton, indicated that water production at the James Allen Reed Water Treatment Plant is definitely up. "This August has been one of the biggest months we've had so far. With temperatures over 100 degrees, we seen a significant increase in outside water usage. Nevertheless, we're able to keep up with the demand with eight to 10-hour days. Things are going smoothly."

He went on to say that the city has three raw water intake valves at Soap Creek. They are set at 321 feet above mean sea level (ft-msl), 314 ft-msl, and 307 ft-msl. Since the lake level is currently at 324.41 ft-msl, the city is drawing water out of the middle intake valve.

Full pool at Clark's Hill Lake is 330 ft-msl.

In other items of information, Superintendent Parton reminded local residents that the city is operating under the Drought Response Level 2 Water Conservation Plan, which states that outdoor water use may occur on scheduled days from 12 midnight to 10 a.m.

The scheduled days for odd-numbered addresses are Tuesday, Thursday, and Sundays; whereas, the scheduled days for even-numbered addresses and golf course fairways are Mondays, Wednesday, and Saturdays.

Moreover, the following uses are prohibited:

.. Using hydrants for any purpose other than firefighting, public health, safety, or flushing.

.. Washing hard surfaces, such as streets, gutters, sidewalks, and driveways, except when necessary for public health and safety.

In conjunction with water conservation efforts, Parton asked local residents to check the plumbing in their homes and businesses for leaks. "Over a three-month period, 18,500 gallons of water can pass through a hole the size of a pencil point. Likewise, a hole measuring 1/16 of an inch in diameter will result in the loss of 74,000 gallons of water over the same period of time. That's a lot of water and money."

Concerning the situation in the county, Roby Seymour, director of the Lincoln County Water Department, said. "We're doing fine, but if the water table continues to drop, we will start having problems."

He further indicated that county water customers are also required to abide by the outdoor water use restrictions, imposed by the EPD. "I know it's dry and grass is dying, but I strongly urge all water customers to do as little outdoor watering as possible. At this point, water is more important than grass."