This all sounds nice and technical but there is a much simpler reason the lakes aren't more full and possibly fully recovered. It is simply the refusal by the Corps to conserve as much fresh water as possible during a drought by dropping releases to the minimum demonstrated to have no significant environmental impact.
IN THE CORPS OWN WORDS IN THEIR PLAN FOR WHAT TO DO IF THE LAKES HIT THE BOTTOM OF THEIR CONSERVATION POOL, "3600 CFS HAS NO SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT DOWNSTREAM OF THE LAKES". BASICALLY LAKE LEVELS HAVE NO PRIORITY COMPARED TO POWER QUOTAS (WHICH ARE MEANINGLESS BECAUSE SEPA CAN GET THE SAME TYPE POWER ELSEWHERE IN THEIR 8 BASIN SYSTEM ANYTIME WE ARE IN A DROUGHT) AND A KINDERGARTEN TYPE APPROACH TO BEING FAIR TO EVERYONE MEANING THEY WANT TO "TREAT THE RIVER STAKEHOLDERS FAIR COMPARED TO LAKE STAKEHOLDERS".
CONSERVATION OF FRESH WATER IS NOT A KINDERGARTEN GAME. THROWING AWAY FRESH WATER (EVERYTHING RELEASED FROM THURMOND BECOMES SALT WATER AND IS NO LONGER OF USE TO ANYONE) IS CRIMINAL AND COULD LEAD TO VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR THOSE WHO DEPEND ON THE RIVER FOR THEIR FRESH WATER SUPPLY. THE PERSONS RESPONSIBLE WOULD BE CONSIDERED INCOMPETENT IN ANY BUSINESS VENTURE I KNOW OF.
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