As the water levels at High Rock Lake continue to stay below normal, residents are getting upset and business is suffering.
Since May, rainfall for the Yadkin River basin, and Rowan County, has been closer to expected levels, but the National Weather Service still classifies parts of the river as suffering moderate to severe drought conditions.
While the situation is anything but ideal for lake residents, it’s not unusual for lake levels to dip during the summer, said Gene Ellis, environmental and natural resources manager for Alcoa, which controls the lake.
The minimum amount of water Alcoa is supposed to release downstream is 1,400 cubic feet per second. Before this week’s rainfall, the company was releasing less than half that — 500 cubic feet per second, Ellis said.
Alcoa, which uses water to generate power, uses the storage capacity of its reservoirs to deal with the release requirement. Only 1,000 cubic feet of water per second is coming in from the Yadkin — still less than what the company is supposed to send downstream.
That means they aren’t getting ahead in their water supplies.
“Any hydroelectric facility will see those ups and downs,” Ellis said. “It’s not unusual …it’s unusual from standpoint of being in extended drought periods.”
But while employees of Tamarac Marina try to be understanding, their patience is waning.
“Business is very slow,” said Lee Burch. “But this is pretty typical of Alcoa.
“They have to do what they have to do, it’s business.”
Last year, the lake was even lower than it is now, Burch said. Boaters were lucky if they could even get into the water.
Tamarac has been fortunate so far this year, but some lake residents can’t say the same.
Boats and personal watercraft are stranded around parts of the lake where water levels have dropped so low that they can’t be moved.
“I’ve heard of people with property where boats are landlocked and can’t get back out,”Burch said.
Tamarac still has enough water in the cove to launch boats, and they’re hoping it stays that way.
The High Rock Boat and Ski Club hasn’t been so lucky. Owner Dave Arey said boats have not been able to reach his dock since the week after July 4th.
Arey’s been doing business on the lake 25 years, and this is the second worst year he can remember. Only last year’s drought conditions were worse.
“We got water one more week this year,” he said. Right now, he needs to mow the grass that growing where boats should be docking.
“We normally have water until Labor Day,” Arey said this morning. “It’s very disappointing. That’s when we make out money, about five months out of the year,” Arey said.
Alcoa is working to balance energy generation with recreation and make sure the water levels meet the requirements, Ellis said. He understands the inconvenience and hardships that lake goers are experiencing, but he can’t make it rain or make the drought turn around.
If it doesn’t change soon, though, Tamarac’s business loss could turn from bad to devastating, Burch said.
Contact Michael Bostian at 704-797-4280 or mbostian@salisburypost.com
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