Careful Management, Planning Make Alabama Power Lakes Ready For Summer

By Michael Sznajderman

Residents and visitors are gearing up for a summer of fun in 2017 on Alabama Power lakes. But it took many months of planning, coordination and careful management – plus some help from Mother Nature – to ensure the water would be there for everyone’s enjoyment this upcoming summer season.

It was actually last summer that Alabama Power’s hydro team began coordinating with state and federal agencies to conserve water resources as the drought of 2016 slowly grew and then lingered well into this year. Alabama Power is the state’s largest water manager.

The company put into action its drought plan in June 2016, when drier-than-normal conditions, and drier-than-normal long-term weather predictions, forewarned of a more serious drought come autumn. By fall, as the drought intensified, the company had already reduced releases from its hydroelectric dams, in consultation with state and federal officials, and suspended recreational water releases from Jordan Dam on the Coosa River.Early winter rains and the company’s conservation efforts helped ease the impact of the drought on Alabama Power lakes as 2016 ended. But by early 2017 the rains slowed again, and moderate winter temperatures triggered an early plant bloom. Streams that should have been flowing well through winter and into spring remained far below normal, raising concerns that it would be difficult to bring Alabama Power’s lakes up to their normal summer levels later in the year.

Please visit Alabama News Center for the Full Article

Tags: ANC

Category: ALL POSTS, Partner News Stories