Hi Everyone!
Hopefully by now you’ve heard that Alabama Power has submitted its preliminary proposal for relicensing Lake Wedowee (also known as Harris Lake) to FERC for their review. Unfortunately they have eliminated the proposal to raise the winter water level, which would have dropped the lake only 6 feet instead of the 8 foot drop we currently experience during the winter months. Supposedly this omission was due to concerns about possible downstream flooding.
This is not good in my opinion, and all stakeholders in the Wedowee area need to sound off about this – whether you live on the lake, in town, or anywhere in the Randolph County area! All of us have a vested interest in Lake Wedowee and the economic impact that it has on our area, so we need your help with making our voices heard!
When Lake Martin was relicensed several years ago, the same thing happened. However the stakeholders mounted an effort to “raise cane” and get FERC and Alabama Power to reconsider their decision regarding winter pool levels. They were successful because they spoke up – and now Lake Martin’s water levels only drop 7 feet in the winter, as opposed to the 10 feet drop they experienced before their relicensing.
Here’s how you can help:
Please go to https://ferconline.ferc.gov/ and create an account with FERC using your name, email address, your mailing address, and your phone number. FERC will send you an email asking you to confirm your account, so check your email and once you receive it, click on the link in your FERC email to complete registration. The email arrives pretty quickly after you submit your information, so if you don’t see the FERC email arrive in your IN box, be sure to check your spam or junk email folders for an email from [email protected].
Once you have completed registration at FERC, use a web your web browser to navigate to the “eComment” section at the FERC website. Enter the Project Docket Number “P-2628-065” and search for the R.L. Harris (Lake Wedowee) relicensing project. Select this docket from the list, and then add your comments in the appropriate field. You have enough space to write 6000 characters to offer your opinion to FERC and Alabama Power.
Suggestions for your FERC comments:
Your comments should be your own, and in your own words. Having said that, here are some thoughts that others have shared regarding why the winter pool level should be changed from an eight-foot drop to a six-foot drop (from winter pool level of 785 feet to 787 feet):
• The decision to lower the lake to current winter pool levels is based on old studies done back in the 1960s. Weather forecasting has [improved dramatically] since then and now meteorologists are very accurate as to how much rain an area will receive and when. This eliminates the need for such a safety factor with an eight foot drop.
• If flood control is the reason you lower the lake from October to April, how is it Alabama Power can control the lake from May 1 to Sept 30? We have significant rainfall during this period as well.
• Communication with in the Alabama Power system is so much better now. They can certainly communicate with weather professionals and react much quicker now. Thus eliminating the need to have an eight foot drop. Five or six should be plenty.
• Why is it Lake Martin was able to reduce their drop down from 10 to 7 several years ago when they relicensed? Same river system?
• Wedowee’s economy is tied very closely to the Lake. Being able to enjoy the lake during the winter months would help take the seasonality out of their economy. Lake owners would come more to the lake therefore helping Wedowee and Randolph County during the winter months.
• Keeping the lake level higher will expose less river bank during the winter months, eliminating some erosion that is caused by the rainfall. This reduces silt into our rivers damaging wild life and vegetation.
• When the lake is down 8 feet, there are many areas of the lake that are exposed where there are Native American artifacts. Raising the drop level from 8 feet to 6 feet would help protect these areas.
• Raising the water level in the winter from 8 to 6 feet would probably allow over 25% of the current lots to have access to their dock to the water.
• About three or four years ago Alabama Power requested and received a variance to raise the lake level in January by 2 feet instead of waiting to April to raise it. This was based on a forecast the winter was going to be drier than usual and AL Power was concerned they would not be able to get to summer level on May 1. For those 2 years the lake level was a 6 feet drop from January to April. The weather turned out to be a normal to above normal amount of rainfall and Alabama Power handled those seasons without any issues. Why can’t we have that now? It’s been proven for 2 years a six foot drop is more than adequate to handle winter water inflow.
As you can see, there are several arguments that can be made as to why raising the winter pool level at Harris Lake (Lake Wedowee) would be a good idea. Hopefully you can think of others and are willing to share them with FERC and Alabama Power.
Please take a little time out of your busy schedules and let your voice be heard. The entire process to submit a comment takes about three minutes, but can affect Lake Wedowee and the surrounding area for the next 25 years!
Don’t delay…the window for public comments at the FERC website closes on Monday 9/27/2021. Thanks and remember…we are all in this together!
Best Regards!
Gene Crouch
Keller Williams – Crouch Team Realty
Wedowee, AL