Major Loop Hole Needs Fixing or We will be in Serious Trouble With Lake Levels

I've been working on getting a provision into Corps responsibilities that they must protect economic impact along the shoreline (eg real estate, marinas, shoreline at Augusta/North Augusta) in their guidelines and it needs to be equal to fish and wildlife concerns.  If we get that done now before the Augusta Lock and Dam is redone with a fish passage then it puts the responsibility of protecting Augusta's shore line into the design of the fish passage.  That would also eliminate a lot of the problems we have on lake level control.  For example that would dictate that the Corps start minimum release rates as soon as the lake starts falling in a drought rather than after the lakes have dropped 2'.

But there is a major loop hole here.  If we don't get that in the provisions until after the fish passage is built, then that would put extra pressure on the corps to save Augusta pool levels with increased releases from Thurmond.  If you doubt that the fish passage is going to complicate lake level control just step ahead in time to a point where the sides of the river along Augusta and North Augusta start falling in and the economy of Augusta and North Augusta is at stake.  There is only one place they can get more water to correct that and it is the lakes. The people of Augusta and North Augusta will get political help or whatever is needed to get at that water and the lakes will be screwed.

If we get the economic provision in Corps guidelines before the fish passage is built it will force the Corps to look at how to design the fish passage so that it doesn't harm Augusta and North Augusta ventures along the river.

SILVER BULLET FOR DEALING WITH CORPS ON LAKE AND RIVER ISSUES

We've been dealing with the corps for over 10 years on lake levels trying to get them to act responsibly concerning lake stakeholder interests.  Initially they had about 8 issues they would come back to us with as to why they couldn't do what we were requesting.  Issues from the sturgeon being an endangered species to oxygen levels in the harbor were used to shut down any conversation about improving the drought plan for the Savannah River Basin.  We got past all these only to have the corps stop us with one final issue.  They state that congress has given them a list of the issues they need to consider in their work and economics such as real estate values or impact on business interests were not on that list. If one of our congressmen such as Rick Allen were to get that added to the list we would be able to come full circle on the drought plan (almost there but one more change needed to optimize our drought plan).

One of our members who worked for years in Washington with congress has explained to me that such a change (add economics to corps responsibilities with regard to the Savannah River Basin) would be easy to accomplish as a local regulation favoring a few congressmen's needs. Before the climate Trump has generated this might have been problematic but with the new attitude of being reasonable with EPA concerns this should be doable now. Rick Allen is the first congressman connected with the Savannah River Basin to come at this from the standpoint of being willing to do whatever is needed to get this right.

Here is a quick look at how this changes things.  Let's say the controlling factor concerning the future of the lock and dam  is the sturgeon.  No problem.  If economics were one of the Corps' responsibilities they would simply be forced to design the fish ladder in a manner that takes care of the sturgeon and does not drop the river below current levels.  Right now they are only directed to protect the sturgeon without any responsibility toward business interests. The River Keeper already has a proposal that would accomplish that but the corps has no reason to listen. AND BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE THEY WILL NOT LISTEN.

COMMENTS SENT TO CORPS IN RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR COMMENTS

FOLLOWING IS AN EMAIL SENT BY ONE OF OUT PEOPLE TO THE CORPS IN RESPONSE TO THEIR REQUESTS FOR COMMENTS CONCERNING CONSTRUCTION OF A FISH PASSAGE IN PLACE OF THE AUGUSTA LOCK AND DAM.  THE EMAIL WAS SENT BY ONE OF OUR MEMBERS.


Several things are very disturbing about your proposal.

 1) you are showing levels for 5,000cfs to fish ladder but during severe droughts the flows will be much lower than that.  Your design needs to be for the flows anticipated during the droughts of record experienced since 2001.

 2) the sturgeon are no longer an endangered species.  Since they have not been able to get to Thurmond dam since 1930 it is ludicrous to destroy the economics of North Augusta and Augusta in the pretense that we have to put in a fish ladder

 3) As with lake levels the corps ignores economic impact of lake and river levels.  I understand you feel congress has not provided that in your responsibilities.   As engineers responsible for the SRB the corps should be going to congress and recommend economics be added to your concerns.

NOTE THAT PROBLEMS WITH THE RIVER LEVEL AT AUGUSTA/NORTH AUGUSTA WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY TRANSLATE TO SCREAMS FOR EXTRA RELEASES FROM THURMOND DURING A SEVERE DROUGHT LIKE THE ONES WE HAVE HAD NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE 2001.

THE ADDRESS FOR COMMENTS IS:CESAS-PD@usace.army.mil.  IF YOU SEND COMMENTS THE CORPS WILL PROBABLY NEVER LET THEM SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY SO COPY JERRY CLONTZ AT bgclontz@gmail.com AND HE WILL GET THEM PUBLISHED ON THIS BLOG SITE.

THE CORPS IS MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE WITH CURRENT DROUGHT PLANNING AND CURRENT PLANS FOR AUGUSTA LOCK AND DAM

At present everyone is lulled into a false sense of security concerning both The Augusta Lock and Dam and the final drought plan for the lakes that goes into effect this summer. The problem is the Corps adamantly refuses to consider economics in their planning.  With lake levels the corps claims economics is not part of the instructions they have from congress.  With the Augusta Lock and Dam they not only refuse to look at economics but they also are overstepping EPA guidance on wild life protection.

The only way we are going to get the Corps to factor in economics is to get help from one of our Senators or congressman.  Unfortunately congressional help is not available because Jeff Duncan refuses to help with this and Jodi Hice is following incorrect advice.  David Purdue would be an ideal senator to help because of his familiarity with Augusta and Lindsay Graham would be good because of his familiarity with the Lake Hartwell area and concerns for North Augusta economics. It would only take a short meeting to explain why the Corps is messing up but to date we have been unable to get the ear of either of these senators.  We desperately need help in getting the ear of one of these Senators.  If you know a way to set up a meeting, Save Our Lakes Now would be glad to meet with them at the location and time of their choice. The contact for Save Our Lakes Now for such a meeting is Jerry Clontz in McCormick, SC (email address bgclontz@gmail.com).

All our arguments on fine tuning lake level control and design of the Augusta Lock and Dam have been laid out in past releases of the Save Our Lakes Now Blog (www. saveourlakesnow.blogspot.com).  Rather than attempt a lengthy repeat of those arguments I recommend anyone interested in this problem review the blog releases of the past 12 months. With our recommended changes to the drought plan the lakes would finally gain a good reputation on lake levels which would have a fantastic impact on lake area economics.  Without our recommended changes we will never get past a reputation for poor lake levels.  With our recommendations on the lock and dam design we will avoid lake levels competing with pool levels at Augusta.  Without our recommendations the pool level will drop unacceptably in severe droughts and the lake and Augusta will become opposing interests concerning release rates during droughts.

COMPROMISE PROPOSAL THAT WOULD GREATLY IMPROVE PLANNED DROUGHT PLAN

There are two parts of the proposed drought plan that are problematic:

1. the new proposal still incorporates dropping the lakes 4' for the winter. The reason given is to provide adequate flood protection for spring rains.
2. the new proposal doesn't drop Thurmond releases to the minimum (3600cfs) until the lakes are down 2' first.  Again the reason given is this provides slightly more flood protection than dropping to 3600cfs immediately.

Viewing this from the stand point of lake stake holders, we want the least possible drop in lake level during a drought so as to protect recreation infrastructure, real estate values, and attractiveness of our lakes for future growth. The same is true for dropping lake levels for the winter.

Viewing this from the stand point of the corps they want to improve drought performance but they also want to make sure they don't decrease flood protection at the same time.

Both can be accomplished if we change full pool to 2' below current levels (328 for Thurmond and 658 for Hartwell). This would mean the lakes would only be lowered 2' during the winter. This would also mean we could drop Thurmond release rates to 3600cfs when the lakes start down instead of waiting without affecting flood protection.  In other words the lakes would finally get a reputation of excellent level control even during droughts. Whether the normal level is 2' below current values is not as important as keeping the level from changing and impacting docks, lake access, shore line appearance, dock placement, etc.

COMMENTS TO CORPS ABOUT FISH PASSAGE AT AUGUSTA LOCK AND DAM LOCATION

Jerry Clontz who is one of our members sent the following email as a comment to the corps on the fish passage design basis. As stated in our last blog SOLN is concerned that the current design basis may lead to future problems with drought control .  Here is the comment.

comment on design of fish passage at augusta lock

 and dam location on savannah river

We noted from a recent release of balancing the basin that the pool will drop at Augusta/North
 Augusta for flows below 5,000cfs after the fish passage is built.

We are concerned that this situation will pit the cities against Lake interests and complicate future

 drought protection releases.

Why not look at the minimum flows that occur at this location during droughts of record (creeks plus

 thurmond = ???) and design the passage such that the pool at augusta will hold level at that flow

 through the passage?

If you wish to send comments to the corps, the address is CESAS-PD.SAS@USACE

.ARMY.MIL

Inbox

x

CORPS ABOUT TO DESTROY OUR LAKES

Sorry for the alarming heading but it is true.  Most people apparently have not realized yet the implications of the fish passage as currently designed.  The corps in their balancing the basin recently stated that the pool level at Augusta will drop anytime release rates from Thurmond dam drop below 5,000cfs. This is a bad design basis.  The fish passage should be designed such that the pool level at Augusta remains constant to release rates below 3000cfs.

Here is what a 5,000cfs basis means:

• Lake stakeholders will be in direct conflict with Augusta / North Augusta interests.  If we try to drop the release rates from Thurmond below 5,000cfs to avoid destroying the lakes during a major drought (we have had about 5 such droughts since the year 2000) it will destroy the pool level for the river flowing past Augusta and North Augusta.  That in turn will do both physical damage to the sides of the river and economic damage to Augusta and North Augusta. The Corps would simply sit idly by and let us fight it out.
• If the cities win the lakes will be destroyed.
• If lake interests win the corps will jump into the battle claiming that the poor sturgeon who have not been north of the Augusta lock and dam for almost a century must be permitted passage by maintaining release rates of 5000cfs or so.

This borders on criminal negligence by the Corps who spent over $2 million during the past several years to come up with a plan demanding 3600cfs releases from Thurmond during severe droughts.