Santee Water Levels

[DUCKMAN]

Guys, this a critical issue!

Does anyone know if the rumor about lowering the lake another 6-8 feet is true?

This would dry up almost all of the waterfowl habitat in the entire system including The Santee National Wildlife Refuge and the state Waterfowl Management areas. It would hurt private and tamie impoundments that pump out of the lake.

The swamp would be impassable even by mud boat.

If they lower the lake before it is time to flood fresh water impoundments on the Cooper and the Santee downstream then salt water intrusion becomes a huge factor.

We need some input and correct information NOW!

? ? ? ? ? ?

[Swamp Rat]

This could screw the Cape and SD East / West... not to mention the folks on the Cooper.

I imagine the swamp deer hunters will be out in force.

[JABIII]

I PM'd Duck Tape and asked that he pass an emergency bill of reimbursement to impoundment owners for the feeding and care of the State's summer duck population. [img]graemlins/shakehead.gif[/img]

Let's hope that Santee Cooper doesn't dick us all with this one.

Worse news is that the salinity on the coast is such that many of the coastal impoundments will not be able to flood if something doesn't happen rapidly. One waterfowl manager I spoke to this morning got 6" of rain last weekend and it has ALL dried up and gone. Could be a banner year for Florida after a week of good pounding (without rest) on the coast.

If we don't get a tropical system this year, like last year, our water levels will hit unprecedented lows. They are talking about shortages now, next year we may be WISHING we had the water we have now...

[Turd Ferguson]

Well the good thing about it is it will increase the # of ducks for next year- cause some of the state hunters damn sure wont be shooting as many- and Florida can only kill their limit-- wow this is better than self imposed or state mandated restrictions-- try to look at the positive aspect of it--plus be glad if you dont lake hunt-- deep water baby!!!


I wish I could type letters for that cartoon dog that mumbles shit all the time--

"brickabracknfricbummbrickbrack:

[JABIII]

Dry S.C. leans on lessons of ’02

Earlier drought spanned 5 years, taught state to plan for water challenges

By JOEY HOLLEMAN - jholleman@thestate.com

As water levels sink in this hot, dry summer, the region is benefiting from lessons learned during the devastating five-year drought that ended in 2002.

By many indicators, the current drought has reached severe status, and at a meeting Wednesday a state committee will consider upgrading the official level from “moderate.”

Rivers have been reduced to trickles. Large lakes look like bathtubs with dirty rims. Non-irrigated farm crops are toast.

Yet, while water managers are concerned, there’s no sense of panic. They have seen this before, and they have a better grasp of what needs to be done this time.

The Yadkin-Pee Dee river basin nearly has reached the depths of 2002, when leaders warned of economic disaster and South Carolina fought with North Carolina over hoarding water in upstream lakes.

But when Alcoa and Progress Energy requested permission last week to reduce the amount of water they will release from Yadkin River lakes, nobody in South Carolina screamed.

“We’ve got a lot better control than we did before,” said Florence Mayor Frank Willis, chairman of the Pee Dee River Coalition, an advocacy group formed in 2002. “There’s a lot more discussions by all parties on a daily basis.”

Cooperation doesn’t make it rain, but it encourages lake managers and water users to look out for each other.

Power companies have been willing to take the financial hit and cut back on hydropower production, which drains lakes and does little good for downstream users. Meanwhile, water users have begun conservation measures earlier than in the past.

The 2002 situation “caused us to work hard to figure out how to work together,” said Don Newton, human resource manager for the Domtar paper plant on the Pee Dee River. “We’ve managed our business to be prepared for the worst before it happened.

“We had a day or two where we had to delay (water releases), but the drought has not affected us significantly.”

Duke Power announced this week that lakes on the Catawba-Wateree system had reached severe drought levels. Duke and water users have agreed to a new drought plan as part of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing of the dams along the Catawba-Wateree. The plan kicks in next year, but Duke and the water users aren’t waiting.

Some began mandatory restrictions when Duke made its drought declaration this week. Others, such as Lugoff-Elgin Water Authority and the city of Camden in Kershaw County, expect to institute restrictions after next week’s state drought meeting.

All the planning and cooperation means the limited water during this drought will last longer. Of course, if the region doesn’t get relief from wet tropical-weather systems in the next few months, concerns will ratchet up.

Rainfall in much of the Midlands and Upstate is about 12 inches below normal for the year. The coast is in slightly better shape, less than 10 inches below normal in most areas.

Despite the recent scattered thunderstorms, water levels have sunk in August because extreme heat speeds evaporation. The final numbers aren’t in, but it’s clear August 2007 will set heat records in Columbia and Greenville, according to the state climate office.

Of the state’s longtime monitored rivers and streams, 26 of 39 are near all-time lows for this time of year. Lake Jocassee is nearly 22 feet below full pool, while Lake Wateree (minus 3.3 feet) and Lake Murray (minus 5.6 feet) are lower than normal.

The drought’s impact has been felt most by firefighters and farmers. The S.C. Forestry Commission has dealt with 334 August fires covering 1,951 acres. That’s twice the normal number of fires and three times the acreage, according to the agency.

The hay crop has been devastated, and cattle farmers have had to pay more for hay or sell their cows early.

June rains gave corn farmers some relief, and cotton and tobacco farmers who irrigate should be OK, said David Tompkins of the S.C. Department of Agriculture. But the rain stopped and heat picked up at just the wrong time for soybeans.

“They’re ankle high when they ought to be up to your waist,” said Lewis Holmes, who farms soybeans near the Edgefield-Aiken county line. “There are a lot of farmers suffering.

“The only hope we have right now is a tropical storm. But being a native son, I wouldn’t want that if it hurt the coast.”

Reach Holleman at (803) 771-8366.

[Nab]

Just spoke with one of the fellows from Santee Cooper at the ballgame and the rumors about lowering the lake are FALSE - he said they are trying to keep all they can with the drought going on.

[DRDUCK]

If we don't get no rain want have to worry about lowerin it!

[JABIII]

Originally posted by Nab:
Just spoke with one of the fellows from Santee Cooper at the ballgame and the rumors about lowering the lake are FALSE - he said they are trying to keep all they can with the drought going on.

You mean to say that, as usual, Bogster is full of shit?

Very good news. Now bring on a tropical storm...

[DRDUCK]

Bogster did you ever call your dads friends like you said you were? Where are the pics of the woodstorks you said you saw on "Your" pond.

[Nab]

Bog - he(same fellow and I believe him) told me last night they WERE NOT dropping it - that they were trying to keep all they can - now will it go down some more - probably, but it will be because of the lack of rain.
He did give the lowdown on a few teal though.