SHORELINES

14 Shor e l i n e S | 2016 Vol :1 MANAGING RIVER FLOWS All of the Alabama Power-managed dams operate under federal licenses that, along with the authority given to the company by the Army Corps of Engineers, provide guidance for how the company stores and releases water. These operating guidelines outline a predetermined schedule, known as a rule curve or flood control guide curve. "Rainfall directly affects this ability to operate according to the set rule curve. In times of heavy rainfall, flows from the rains may increase these lake levels or in times of abnormally dry conditions, lack of flow from lack of rain may cause the lakes to drop below their normal seasonal levels. Alabama Power has procedures in place to help manage the impact, whether high or low," Peeples says. FLOOD CONTROL Flood control can be defined as minimizing river stages most often downstream of a dam, but also can apply to within the reservoir itself. Downstream flood peaks are minimized by discharging less water than is coming into the reservoir, resulting in rising lake elevations; all of this is by design. Through the operation of its dams, Alabama Power is able to minimize the impact of the large volume of water from heavy rains. Certain lakes, known as storage lakes, are designed with flood control in mind. These lakes are drawn down each fall to make room for normally heavier winter and spring rains, which in turn "IN TIMES OF HEAVY RAINFALL, FLOWS FROM THE RAINS MAY INCREASE THESE L AKE LEVELS OR IN TIMES OF ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS, L ACK OF FLOW FROM L ACK OF RAIN MAY CAUSE THE L AKES TO DROP BELOW THEIR NORMAL SEASONAL LEVELS." – AL AN PEEPLES, AL ABAM A POWER RESERVOIR M ANAGEMENT M ANAGER. Above: File photo by m a rv in Gilmor e – Alabama Power operates 14 dams across the state.

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