(Smith Lake Specific)
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(Smith Lake Specific)
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| Name: |
LOCOonWater
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| Subject: |
still pumping
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Date:
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12/10/2008 7:13:15 AM
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I guess APC did'nt get any rain at gorgas. Maybe they forgot we are still under drought conditions, Seems to me it would only make sense to let the lake fill up so they can drain the hell out of it in June.
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| Name: |
4691
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| Subject: |
still pumping
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Date:
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12/10/2008 7:34:13 AM
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Why not continue to dump the water now for no purpose? Just because there is no guarantee that the lake will fill in the spring if the drought continues? Bah! Worry about that later. Too much trouble to apply prudent water management (common sense).
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| Name: |
Bill
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| Subject: |
still pumping
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Date:
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12/10/2008 12:07:03 PM
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As we are entering the rainy season the lake has to be low enough to still be able to be used as flood control.
Back in December 2003 (I think) the lake quickly rose from like 496 to 518 in a matter of a couple of days (flood control). If the level had been 500 or 502 (as SLISA would like) at that time the dam would not have been able to hold the lake waters.
Personally I'm surprised we're still holding at 497 (oh, now 498 - that flood control thing again) in mid December.
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| Name: |
4691
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| Subject: |
still pumping
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Date:
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12/10/2008 2:08:56 PM
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In 2004 (not 2003) there was a flooding event after two major rains. One in November and the other in December. The water levels were Nov. 1 = 499.2 (almost 500'), Nov. 30 = 507.0, Dec. 6 = 508.4, and peaking on Dec. 12 = 518.0 feet. The greatest rise rate was 9.6 feet over six days. At least for that significant rainy period, the lake started out at almost 500' and the peak was well below the 522' line. I doubt maintaining the lake at 500' causes a significant flooding concern.
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| Name: |
Bill
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| Subject: |
still pumping
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Date:
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12/10/2008 4:07:37 PM
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No?
The lake has risen almost two fee just since this morning.
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| Name: |
keyman
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| Subject: |
still pumping
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Date:
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12/10/2008 8:31:20 PM
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Bill
You really make this to easy. As stated the rain you are speaking of was in 2004. The Lake was at the 502' when this event occurred. I would think you would no that the lake volume at e 518-522 is far greater than the 502-506. Under the slisa proposal and real modeling the results indicate that at no time in history would the lake have reached the 522 if the low water mark was the 502'.
Also the reason SLISA chose the 502' was based on APC's own calculations. Those calculations indicate that it would take a flood of greater than a thousand years to exceed the 522'. For the low mark of 496' to be needed for flood control would take a flood that only Noah and his family could tell you about.
Also as a note January, March, and April are the wettest months of the year in this watershed. Historically Smith Lake rises above the 502 on January 9th. That in itself kind of shoots down that the 502 would cause more flooding.
keyman
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| Name: |
4691
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| Subject: |
dam design?
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Date:
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12/10/2008 10:04:32 PM
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I'm not familiar with the Smith Lake dam. Never actually been there by land to get a good look. Anyone know of a web link that provides design details. Does it have a spillway bypass and what is the capacity? If it does have a spillway sized properly there would never be a concern of excessive flooding UPSTREAM of the dam provided the spillway is utilized properly.
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| Name: |
keyman
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| Subject: |
dam design?
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Date:
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12/11/2008 1:01:07 PM
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The below paragraph is taken from APC document on Smith relicensing.Many people think there is a pipe for the spillway , however not so. You can look on google earth and the spillway can be seen west side of the dam draining southwest.
"The dam is a rock fill embankment, 2,200 ft long and 300 ft high, with a
top elevation of 550 ft msl. The top width is 50 ft and the base width is
approximately 1,060 ft. The spillway consists of a 956 ft long uncontrolled weir
at elevation 522 ft msl in the right abutment, which feeds into a 350 ft wide
channel cut through rock on the west upstream bank. This 3,000 ft long channel
discharges into Mill Creek, which flows into the Sipsey Fork of the Warrior River
approximately 2.5 miles downstream from the dam, although there has never been
a spill of floodwaters into the channel (APC, 1965; APC, 1995; FERC, 1999).
The spillway capacity at an elevation of 532 ft msl is approximately 88,000 cfs
(APC, 1965)."
keyman
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| Name: |
Bill
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| Subject: |
dam design?
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Date:
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12/11/2008 3:09:08 PM
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http://www.smithlakecommunity.com/photos/d/1360-2/sipseydam.jpg
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| Name: |
Bill
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| Subject: |
dam design?
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Date:
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12/11/2008 4:26:58 PM
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Per APC. I don't know if there is any more info on the dam in here than Jared provided.... but here it is:
One of the largest earth and rock-filled dams in the Eastern United States, the Lewis Smith Dam was constructed at the Sipsey Fork tributary. It was named in honor of Lewis Martin Smith, who was president of Alabama Power from 1952 to 1957. Smith Dam was the first of three Alabama Power Company projects on the Warrior River. In 1965, FERC authorized Alabama Power to build a powerhouse at Holt Lock and Dam. Both Bankhead Lock and Dam and Holt Lock and Dam are owned by the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army.
The story of Smith Dam and Smith Lake began as a story of energy. It continues today as a story of flood control, recreation and economic opportunity, irrigation and drinking water, and fish and wildlife habitats. Power was just the beginning.
Facts about Smith Dam:
Type: Rock-fill
Length: 2,200 feet
Maximum height: 300 feet
Facts about Smith Reservoir:
Elevation above sea level: 510 feet
Area: 21,200 acres
Shoreline: 500 miles
Length: 35 miles
Maximum depth at dam: 264 feet
Area of watershed draining into reservoir: 944 square miles
1. Swirling water and strong underwater currents at powerhouse intakes.
2. Rapidly rising waters from turbine discharge.
3. Turbulent discharges from automatically operated turbines.
URL: DAM PHOTO
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