Reservoir operations update

Drought conditions continue to significantly impact the Tennessee Valley. On average, tributary reservoirs are about 15 feet below normal levels for this time of year due to below normal rainfall and runoff over the past three years.

Reservoir	Observed August 20 Level		Normal Level*
	2007	2008
Blue Ridge	1670.1	1676.1	1683.8
Chatuge	1917.6	1920.2	1924
Cherokee	1047.8	1053.2	1069
Douglas	965.4	973.4	991.5
Fontana	1661.4	1680.5	1703
Hiwassee	1489.1	1502.6	1515.8
Norris	999.7	1003.4	1020
Nottely	1757	1766.6	1773.2
South Holston	1709.2	1701.3	1729
Watauga	1946.6	1944.4	1959
*With normal rainfall, reservoirs should be near the flood guide levels shown in this column. Flood guide levels show the amount of storage allocated for flood damage reduction during different times of the year. From June 1 through Labor Day, TVA’s goal is to keep the reservoir level at the dam as close to this level as possible to support recreation and conserve water in the tributary system for other uses.

 

South Holston Reservoir, in the northeastern part of the Valley, has been hit especially hard by the extended drought and is currently about 28 feet below normal levels.

Last year on August 20, tributary reservoirs were an average of 20 feet below normal levels.

TVA is continuing to conserve water in tributary reservoirs by releasing only enough water to meet reservoir-specific and system-wide flow requirements. (See related story.)

TVA uses the water released to meet these flow requirements to generate as much low-cost electricity as possible at its hydroelectric dams, but no additional water is released for the primary purpose of generating electricity. TVA hydropower generation from January through August 20 was 61 percent of normal, and most of this generation came from dams along the main Tennessee River.

While most tributary reservoirs are at or near winter elevations ahead of schedule again this year, it is important to remember that TVA increased winter elevations on 10 tributary reservoirs as a result of the Reservoir Operating Study completed in 2004.

To increase the chance of filling tributary reservoirs to normal levels in spring 2009, TVA will continue to operate the reservoir system in a water conservation mode as long as the volume of water stored in the system is below minimum guide levels. It will take rainfall well above normal over an extended period of time for the Tennessee River basin to return to normal flows.

Information about current reservoir levels, a three-day forecast for levels, and observed rainfall are posted daily on TVA’s Reservoir Information Web page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Drought update

The eastern portion of the Tennessee Valley—east Tennessee, southeast Virginia, western North Carolina, and north Georgia—continues to experience extreme to severe drought conditions. Rainfall for the year to date (January 1 – August 20) is 73 percent of normal. Runoff, which is critical to filling tributary reservoirs, is only 50 percent of normal. The long-range forecast is for continued dry conditions.

View a weekly drought update.