If you ask anyone why our lakes are so low they will respond that it is because we are in a severe drought. But that is not the whole story by any means. Over a year ago Save Our Lakes Now recommended to the Corps that we drop release rates on Lake Thurmond to 3600 cfs or we would be looking at low lake levels in the near future. We even did a quick spot on Channel 6 News with this warning. Now, more than a year later I thought it would be interesting to look back and see where we would be now had the Corps followed our advice.
In May of last year when Lake Thurmond dropped below 328' the release rates would have been dropped to 3600cfs following our advice. Instead the Corps averaged about 4800cfs until August and the lake dropped 3' to 325'. Had they dropped to 3600 in May as we asked the lake would not have dropped. It would have remained at 328ft. The following months since August our recommendation was still 3600cfs. The Corps compromised and went to 3800 cfs instead. This difference in release rates over a years time results in a 2' drop in lake level.
Summing up these differences Lake Thurmond would now be at 325' instead of 320 and Lake Hartwell would be at 655' instead of 650. So is the drought the reason our lakes look like heck now? As everyone familiar with our lakes knows a 5' drop is not that bad. So the answer is no. It is the way the lakes are being managed.
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