Months of lower-than-average rainfall have pushed the Catawba-Wateree River Basin into drought and Stage 1 of the Low Inflow Protocol (LIP).
The Catawba River system depends on rain to maintain lake levels for water consumption, power generation, and recreation. The level of Lake Wylie remains relatively low, and Duke Energy officials are managing the levels of the 11 lakes of the Catawba River system in accordance with the Comprehensive Relicensing Agreement (CRA) for the Catawba-Wateree Hydro Project. At our November 27 meeting, Tami Styer (Senior Project Manager Water Strategy, Hydro Licensing and Lake Services) explained the process Duke must implement to maintain a sufficient reservoir inventory for the region. Under normal conditions, the CRA requires Duke to maintain a constant water flow throughout the system and at least 1,100 cubic feet per second (cfs) through our Lake Wylie Dam in York County. When certain drought conditions occur, that flow rate is reduced by implementing the LIP to ensure the level in Lake Wylie does not drop below critical intake elevations for drinking water and hydroelectric intakes. Flow has been reduced through the dam to 860 cfs per the CRA. Our full pond measurement is 100′ and our target level is 97′; we’re at 95.6′. The brief rain before Thanksgiving provided minimal increase in lake level but not enough to cancel the LIP.
Duke normally monitors conditions at the beginning of each month, but because of the extended lack of rainfall, they have increased their review to bi-monthly to determine if any additional steps are needed. Next update on December 1st. Check their Duke Energy Lakes and Recreation Website https://www.duke-energy.com/lake or Duke Energy’s Lake View smartphone app for lake levels, flow releases, and alerts.