Alabama Power Expands Drought Precautions On Its Lakes

By Michael Sznajderman

Drought conditions that began last fall persist across many parts of Alabama, and limited rains combined with early vegetation growth continue to pose a challenge as Alabama Power prepares to raise lake levels for the summer

Higher-than-normal temperatures have led to plants blooming early, reducing the amount of rain flowing into streams a.nd lakes. And weather experts haven’t forecast the above-average rainfall needed for river basins to fully recover from the ongoing drought.

Alabama Power relies on winter and spring rains to refill its storage reservoirs to summer levels. Because of the challenging conditions, Alabama Power has worked closely with government agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to raise lake levels earlier than normal at Weiss and Logan Martin lakes on the Coosa River, and Harris and Martin lakes on the Tallapoosa River. Smith Lake on the Black Warrior River also is being raised slightly earlier than normal. Here are the specific lake-level modifications:These temporary changes are designed to improve the odds that Alabama Power reservoirs on the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers can reach normal summer levels. These changes may affect the ability to perform shoreline projects, so lake property owners should plan accordingly.

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