Fish and Wildlife Service Says It’s OK to Reduce ACF Flow Rate
The US Fish and Wildlife Service released its biological opinion today, allowing the Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the water volume flowing into the Apalachicola River from 5,000 cubic feet per second to 4,750 CFS, and later to 4,500 CFS. The reduced flow levels can continue until June 1st, at which point the situation will be reevaluated.
While the intention of the move is to keep more water in Lake Lanier, officials at a press conference in Atlanta said that the amount of water actually released from the lake on any given day will depend on conditions all along the Apalachicola - Chattahoochee - Flint river basin. For example, heavy rains along the Flint basin in South Georgia might mean that no water would have to be released from Lanier, but continued dry weather elsewhere would cause the Corps to release additional Lanier water. The situation is monitored on a daily basis.
Part of the justification for reducing flows, even though it will mean the loss of between 2 and 9% of the mussels (the FWS refers to this as ‘incidental take’), is that if flows are not released, at some point in the future, the situation might be so bad that water flows would drop extremely rapidly, and cause more damage to the endangered species. By reducing flows gradually now, it is hoped that some of the mussels will migrate to deeper water as the river levels subside.
The Fish and Wildlife Service said that it didn’t evaluate a proposal to further reduce flows at Woodruff Dam, which marks the start of the Apalachicola, to 4,150 CFS, but would do so if drought conditions worsen. The Corps began the new reduced flow regime this morning.
You can read the press release from the Fish and Wildlife service, a summary of the opinion, (PDF) and a FAQ (PDF) that explains the effects of the reduced flows on the endangered mussels and sturgeon.
In a related note, Georgia State and Federal officials now agree that there are now 79 days remaining in Lake Lanier’s conservation pool - the portion of the lake that can easily be accessed for drinking water. This is in contrast to the 80 day estimate made a month ago by the state, and the 250 day estimate made by federal officials two weeks ago. I don’t know exactly how they came up with that number. And, of course, the number doesn’t reflect the new lower flow levels announced today.
At today’s press conference, Brigadier General Joseph Schroedel of the Corps of Engineers discouraged the media from focusing on the date the lake could run out of easily accessible water, noting that rainfall into Lanier and elsewhere in the basin, water usage patterns, and other factors ultimately are going to determine how long the water lasts.
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