“We have been generating power around the clock since (Saturday) Sept. 19,” said Brandon Glover, a spokesman for APC. “That has allowed us to match the flows from the heavy rains we have received.”
Glover said Tuesday Logan Martin Lake was at 463.82 feet above sea level, about a half a foot lower than Monday.
The normal summer pool for Logan Martin Lake is 465 feet above sea level, but APC normally starts drawing down the lake for winter seasonal rains after the Labor Day Holidays.
“The rainfall totals through the weekend were not as high as in other areas,” Glover said.
He said downstream APC dam projects are also releasing water.
“All reservoirs downstream are generating power,” Glover said. “It’s an added benefit for our customers, because it’s the cheapest form of electricity we have.”
Glover said the releases will help make room for more water moving down the Coosa River basin in the coming days.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Tuesday that, because of the significant rainfall, the Corps implemented flood control operations in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) river basins.
“Portions of Northern Georgia have received up to several feet of rain during the last few days, causing the lakes and downstream rivers to rise rapidly,” said Lisa Coghlan, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District.
She said the water level at Lake Allatoona, which is at the headwaters of the ACT river basin, is almost 11 feet above the normal summer level.
“The lake level has risen more than 11.5 feet since Sept. 20, (Sunday) and is expected to peak near 856 msl,” Coghlan said. “Expected outflow increases from Allatoona will occur near the end of the week after downstream river levels have peaked and receded.”
Scott Unger, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Birmingham, said there was a flash flood warning until 7 p.m., Tuesday, but the warning area was in West Alabama.
“Most rivers in Central Alabama are expected to crest within the next 24-36 hours,” he said Tuesday afternoon. “We’re going to see a very moderate ridge of high pressure, reducing our chances for rain Wednesday and Thursday.”
That ridge is expected to washout and rain will return to the forecast Friday and Saturday, Unger said.
Carters Lake’s, which is also a part of the ACT basin, current elevation is 1,078 msl and is expected to peak near 1,085 msl on Saturday, Sept. 26, if rain events continue within the Carters Lake watershed.
“The Corps continues to monitor the situation and will make necessary changes to water releases to ensure minimal impacts both upstream and downstream,” Coghlan said.
