bob34
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Posts: 31
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Post by bob34 on Sept 5, 2012 15:01:50 GMT -5
Anyone know or who I can call/where I can go to find out? Its a bummer to come here for my 2 weeks of vacation and can't get the boat out when it gets below 791.00.
Thanks for any help!
-Bob
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Post by mwardncsu on Sept 5, 2012 15:05:24 GMT -5
This won't answer how low it will go, but will let you get a feel for where it is currently oscillating. Hopefully the rain this week will bring it up some...... www.smithmountainlakelevel.com
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bob34
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Post by bob34 on Sept 5, 2012 15:15:44 GMT -5
Thanks. Have that link and have been monitoring it which is what spurred my question... you can set the graph for previous years at this tiime and we're almost foot shallower than previous years... Not sure why they keep letting water out...? You can tell by the graph that it's not just evaporation, they keep letting it out.... I'll keep digging and if I find out, I'll let everyone know.
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BentRod
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Posts: 2,252
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Post by BentRod on Sept 5, 2012 16:16:40 GMT -5
Not.much rain and air conditioners running all summer = low water levels. It's happened before and been worse. It'll come back up this fall.
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bob34
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Post by bob34 on Sept 5, 2012 16:22:16 GMT -5
Found this link: www.smithmtn.com/Resources/Contact.aspxCalled everyone on it before 4:30 and not one answer. We're at 791.04' and falling at .23 FPH or almost 4 inches per hour as I write this. I know Kerr and Gaston have had a ton of rain. SML and Leesvillle are above nomal rain. This just doesn't make any sense...
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Post by catsnstripers on Sept 5, 2012 23:15:46 GMT -5
They usually pump out on the evening, pump back in the mornings. It'll raise up and down a ft each day. Claytor is almost full pond i belive.
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Post by mwardncsu on Sept 6, 2012 8:54:46 GMT -5
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bob34
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Post by bob34 on Sept 6, 2012 17:57:51 GMT -5
I actually got a call back from AEP this morning. She reiterated all the stuff in the article. As of right now, SML is at 790.9 & falling, Leesville is at 610.9. We're 4.1' and Leesville is 2.1' off full pond. They can't flow much more into Leesville without flooding it so running as much CFPM as they say they're supposed to meet fed regs doesn't make sense.
I must be missing something...
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Post by 2 oars & a trash can on Sept 8, 2012 6:12:11 GMT -5
Just before labor day weekend the level went up at least a foot though we had had no rain. Right after that weekend the level dropped to where it is now, though we did get some rain that week. There are more factors at work here than AEP likes to discuss. But what are you going to do? Fight city hall? The tourists are mostly gone and the only people who care aren't going to move away if it takes a few weeks to bring it back up.
Several months ago there was acknowledgement that some gauge in Brookneal was busted and reading low, so they kept letting more out to compensate.
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bob34
New Member
Posts: 31
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Post by bob34 on Sept 8, 2012 20:13:17 GMT -5
Yeah, they actually stopped posting the level for awhile yesterday for SML but in the mean time Leesville fell from 611.9 to 608 but somehow SML has remained pretty steady just over 791... I wonder where the 4' went at Leesville?
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Post by mwardncsu on Sept 8, 2012 20:58:35 GMT -5
Most likely some of it downstream and some of it back to SML to bring it up a little for the weekend. If you look at the graphs they seem to try and bring the water a little more on the weekends - at least during recreational bating season - than they do during the week when things are off normal pond.
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Post by jb4sml on Sept 10, 2012 6:06:38 GMT -5
Amazing the water level is coming back up highest it has been in over a week must have been all the rain we got yesterday... Oh wait we didn't get any rain yesterday...The need for water down stream has not changed and God knows the federal regs has not changed since yesterday... You know maybe it's that pesky sensor again... I really think its because there is no call to produce electricity for the North East since they are also in this cold snap and their air conditioners are not going... but that is just my opinion.
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Post by 2 oars & a trash can on Sept 10, 2012 6:08:27 GMT -5
Going to be a good fall.
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Post by striperseeker on Sept 10, 2012 9:40:20 GMT -5
I launched at the public ramp up by the bridge yesterday. Oh my goodness is the water low. The rock behind the ramp is now attached to the land (you can walk out to it). You have to keep your outboard far up so you don't hit the bottom with your prop. And to make matters worst, to get your trailer deep enough to drive the boat on, there is only inches between having your wheels on the ramp and having them falling off of the ramp.
They are closing the ramp for "improvements" as well. If I remember right it will be closed starting on the 24Th (I am not real sure of the date of closure). Pretty much means it will be closed for a long time. I am hoping someone on the forum knows about how long the closing will be.
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cbc66
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Post by cbc66 on Sept 10, 2012 11:17:35 GMT -5
The DGIF website says the closing is from Sep. 24 - Oct. 14.
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