I'll be brief but let me point out a few reasons why the Corps is failing in properly managing our lakes.
- Did you ever think why they came to 3600cfs as a standard for the lowest possible safe release rate? In the 80's the Corps asked the Savannah River Plant (SRP) what the lowest release rate they could handle with their reactors running. SRP replied that they would be OK as long as they had at least 3600cfs to the river. That was back when they were running nuclear reactors. These reactors have been shut down completely for decades. SO MUCH FOR THAT STANDARD.
- The Corps recognized that operation at 3600cfs had no negative environmental impact when they published their plan for what to do if the lakes hit bottom and they had to destroy them one by one for water supply downstream. YET THEY ACT AS IF THEY SHOULD NOT GO TO 3600 EXCEPT IN EXTREME CONDITIONS. EXTREME BEING DEFINED AS AFTER THE LAKE LEVELS HAVE BEEN DESTROYED AND THE REPUTATION OF OUR LAKES FROM THE STAND POINT OF RECREATION HAS BEEN BADLY TARNISHED, FUTURE GROWTH FOR OUR AREA HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY IMPAIRED, AND BILLIONS OF GALLONS OF FRESH WATER HAS BEEN THROWN TO THE SEA. RIGHT NOW WHEN THEY SHOULD BE AT MINIMUM RELEASE RATES THEY ARE USING 4,000 CFS AND HIGHER RATHER THAN THE 3600 WE ALL KNOW WORKS.
- SEPA has 8 basins they receive hydro power from and their management has told us repeatedly that they can make up our losses by getting power from the other basins when we are in severe drought. Additionally they have explained repeatedly that they need us for peaking power more so than a routine source of power so they can prevent black outs during extreme usage. This of course becomes drastically impaired with extreme drops in lake level such as has occurred repeatedly since 2000 with the current drought plan. In spite of these facts the Corps claims they have to hold release rates above what we feel is sane to meet power quotas.
The way the Corps is currently operating our lakes makes no sense when you look at these facts. The reason I say incompetence is that their actions are destroying our recreational infrastructure, our real estate values, and the economic growth for the area around the lakes. If they had a good reason for doing so you would have to give the Corps a pass on this. But none of this can be justified when you look at the facts.
Recently the web sites where you can look at projected lake levels and actual release rates have been inaccessible. For those of you who like to look at these you can use the following web address:
