2007/2008 Lake Level Water Problems

D

Dave S

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Oct 3, 2006
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Upstate South Carolina
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I thought I would start this thread so we could have one place for all of us to report the ongoing lake level issues around the country and particularly here in the Southeast where we are having a landmark drought and the prospect for a dry winter as well. In Tennessee, they have big problems as well. Here is a video I found about South Holston Lake that was made in August.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUfe5hFAbRI&mode=related&search=

The lakes here in a large portion of the Carolinas are all down considerably including the Lake I boat on, Lake Wylie. Lake Wylie is part of the Catawba River chain and includes quite a few lakes, the biggest which is Lake Norman in Charlotte. Lake Norman is now down 6.7 feet and Lake Wylie is now down 6.6 feet. Wylie has been dropping at the rate of 1/10 of a foot per day for the last two weeks which equates to a foot every ten days. This NBC news item mentions the general problems in the Southeast and our lake in particular.

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=msnbc&vid=7b1a1da0-1987-4d74-adf9-e2d8fe9759ff


This is High Rock Lake in North Carolina where I think our moderator First Born does some boating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLU4kd4oU7s

If any of you want to contribute pictures, links to stories, etc. this one thread would be a good place for all of us to continue documenting our lake conditions. I intend to take a lot of pictures in the week ahead at our lake and will post more pictures as appropriate.
 
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Lake Monroe in Bloomington Indiana is only down 1 1/2 feet. So not a big deal to us. My slip has 23 feet of water under it.

The problem reservoirs are in Indianapolis. These reservoirs are down 4 to 6 feet and these reservoirs are only 15 feet deep. More than half the boats are sitting on the lake bed or on their lifts. The lake is so dry you could drive your car on the lake bed to your slip. The problem is how to get the boat off the ground or off the lift especially the way your boat is sitting, stern in or out.

These people are going to have to winterize where they lay. I would bet most do not know how to winterize so some one will be making some good money.

I probably will be pulling the boat out in the next few weeks. Have to be out of the slip by Nov. 1st.
 
Winterizing will be a problem for some of those boats either stuck in the mud or sitting on dry land. I think a little bit of "ingenuity" will be required but it can be done down.

Up north where the cold is more severe and where you have a real winter it might be harder to deal with all the variables especially a scenario of where the water rises during the winter, refloats the boat, and then freezes over before people can get their boats out. Icy or snow covered ramps will present a few more challenges, :smt101
 
The drop on Lake Wylie continues unabated at 1/10 of a foot per day. The lake is now down another 6 inches since I pulled my boat out on Wednesday. A lot of boats in the Marina are resting on the bottom now and a few are starting to lean over too. :smt009
 
Dave S said:
The drop on Lake Wylie continues unabated at 1/10 of a foot per day. The lake is now down another 6 inches since I pulled my boat out on Wednesday. A lot of boats in the Marina are resting on the bottom now and a few are starting to lean over too. :smt009
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Is Duke Power still make power? At some point I would think they would stop and buy the power from other areas. Doesn't Charlotte area get there water from the lake? Power or water?hhhmmmm I know I pay for it, and its a very small lake, but the town of Lake Lure has made little power this year and has been able to control the lake level with in 6" of norm. I guess we should count our blessings as others, like yourself, have to hope mother nature keeps levels near norm. We are all hoping for a rainy winter this year so you guys can have a great boating year next year.
 
Heard over the weekend from a buddy with a 360DA on Lake Lanier that he's being moved this week out of a cove to brand new docks in "deeper" water....this will only work for another couple of months if the lake continues falling, then he'll have to haul it out.

FYI, the eastern third of TX received 1-6" of rain today...would gladly have given it all to the SE USA.
 
Dave
I saw the Brian Williams report on this last night and thought of you SE boys. I'm sorry to see it and was glad to hear you got your boat out of the lake. I wish I could send you some of our water or at least the next 2 weeks of rain every other day.
5day_640.jpg

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if that not enough wait until November, that's when we get the heavy stuff. Last year we had over 15" in the Seattle Area(normal is 6"), Olympia 1 hour south of Seattle had over 19"
and our coast; a couple hours away had just over 30" of rain in November alone.

this year they predict to be nearly the same, but obviously is yet to be seen.

Let's build a pipeline.
 
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We slip our boat at Starboard Marina on Lake Lanier, GA. We had to pull out on September 27th. Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier, both in Georgia, are the two major reservoirs supplying the Atlanta metro area. Both lakes are already ~20ft below full pool.

There are already discussions starting about rationing water. This is much worse than just a premature end to the boating season. One of our local affiliates has done an extensive analysis of the situation and had a drought special broadcast on Sunday.

You can watch this special on your computer through the following link:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14340998/detail.html
 
The southwest is in big trouble also. With lake powell and lake mead both below 50% and california and las vegas growing at record pace, the drought is taking a huge toll on the area.:smt100
 
lorenbennett said:
The southwest is in big trouble also. With lake powell and lake mead both below 50% and california and las vegas growing at record pace, the drought is taking a huge toll on the area.:smt100
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Do they ever expect those lakes to recover? I seem to remember reading that the lake levels out there have been dropping for years. Is that because of lack of rain or higher water usage?
 
spurofthemoment said:
We slip our boat at Starboard Marina on Lake Lanier, GA. We had to pull out on September 27th. Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier, both in Georgia, are the two major reservoirs supplying the Atlanta metro area. Both lakes are already ~20ft below full pool.

There are already discussions starting about rationing water. This is much worse than just a premature end to the boating season. One of our local affiliates has done an extensive analysis of the situation and had a drought special broadcast on Sunday.

You can watch this special on your computer through the following link:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14340998/detail.html
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How is lake travis doing?
 
Dave S said:
Do they ever expect those lakes to recover? I seem to remember reading that the lake levels out there have been dropping for years. Is that because of lack of rain or higher water usage?
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If you look at the historic graphs it shows that this is not the first time, but this has been a extended drought and we need 2 or 3 wet winters up north to fix it. Also Nevada is working hard at developing ways to bring reclaimed waters from northern Nevada to lake mead. It is believed it will recover but many new ideas on conservation and reclamation will have to come into play.:huh:
 
Alex D writes How is lake travis doing?

I'm almost ashamed to say we're full (681') & have been since May...actually over-full, got up to ~ 701' in early July. Enough water was released in July to fill lots of dry GA lakes if there was only a pipe.

Normal years we'll fluctuate 20', leaving 140' of water in the main channel & causing only minor problems. The lowest level of '06 was ~ 644'...however, it had been below full for almost 2 yrs at that point. Then it started raining.

Mansfield Dam was built in the late 30's with federal money secured by Congressman LBJ to prevent flooding of AUS & other downstream cities & to provide irrigation water to the rice farmers down stream along the coast. It has evolved into the water supply for the city of AUS & surrounding areas & major recreation lake.
 
Lake Wylie is down 7.1 feet as of today.

The lake has dropped 9/10s of a foot since I pullled the boat out exactly a week ago so it is dropping somewhat faster than my original prediction of a foot a week. More boats are now grounded in the Marina. I will try to get more pictures this weekend.:smt009
 
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If Chatuge keeps dropping the way it has, looks like I may have to pull MS Judy and Winterize her since she won't be in the water. At best I think the Marina is going to move me to another slip with more water in it. Only had 3 feet below the hull last Sunday. Could still get in and out, but was real close since I'm in the 1st slip on the dock. Has been a great slip.
 
chuck1 said:
If Chatuge keeps dropping the way it has, looks like I may have to pull MS Judy and Winterize her since she won't be in the water. At best I think the Marina is going to move me to another slip with more water in it. Only had 3 feet below the hull last Sunday. Could still get in and out, but was real close since I'm in the 1st slip on the dock. Has been a great slip.
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Will the boat ramps remain open at your lake Chuck if it continues to drop? Even if you get a deep enough slip, if you wait too long you may not have a ramp to use for a haul out. I see this as a big safety issue on our lake with the possibility the last open ramp we have on the whole lake closing up any time now. Even though boats in some areas of the lake are in deep enough water so they won't be grounded, there is nothing they can do if their boat starts taking on water except try to beach it somewhere. And with all the friendly Muskrats we have at our lake, one good munch on an outdrive bellows and the boat will start taking on water. When you raise your outtdrive, which so many people have had to do with the shallow water depths, it really exposes the bellows. That's abnother reason I opted for a last minute haul out.
 
I hear you. I'm keeping an eye on the ramps. A couple have already closed. I don't think I could get MS Judy out using the one at my marina, but there is still 2 more that look good. Checked them Sunday from the water.
 
Here Dave
Cut and paste this into your local weather channel's forcast.
K5-340mileAnim-640x480.gif


sorry...really wish I could help
 
Todd

We are hoping for some rain from the front causing all the bad weather in the middle of the country. But long range there is no relief in site. Just a little bit of rain will be appreciated at this point to maybe at least stop the decline in the water levels. Replenishment won't come for a long time but getting water levels to just even off would be nice. :grin:

And of course our weather has been absolutley spectacular since i pulled the boat out. It's killing me to be missing out on the fall boating season. I feel just like the folks up north do when they take their boats out for the winter.:smt089

Dave
 
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