Table Rock High Water

[BillS]

Darn all this rain! Just when Table Rock was settling down after the flooding this spring. Diving has been pretty good the last few weeks and getting better. KY3 news stated the Corps of Engineers expected the lake to crest at 923' this Saturday and were planning to open the floodgates today (Friday). I wonder if Project Aware will still take place Sept. 13? I can't imagine the lake being in decent condition in only a week. We may just have to stay home and spend our surface interval time reading the forum instead of getting wet!
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"When God looked upon th' work of his hands and called it good, he was sure alookin at this here Ozark Country..."
Harold Bell Wright - Shepherd of the Hills

[snagel]

I was down there back in April and the flooding was totally breath taken, but no diving. It surely isn't to that level again is it?

Snagel

[BillS]

Fortunately its not as high as it was in the spring. I just checked the Corp's web site and at 5:00 am this morning (Sept. 6) the lake is at 919.49'. They had said earlier this week it would crest at 923' today. Doesn't look like it will get quite that high. During the floods this spring it reached a record high of around 932' or 933'. Last week the level had dropped to 916'. 915' is considered normal power pool. So, if the lake doesn't rise more than 4' or 5' as a result of recent rain we should be OK.

[mm2002]

I did TR today, and I can't really tell that the level has changed any. What I can tell you is the vis sucks right now. I think it's starting an early turn-over. You have to go below 40 ft to find any decent vis, and it's nothing to brag about.

[BillS]

Where on the lake did you dive mm2002? When I dove at the visitor centor on 9-1-08 it was about like that. Below 40'-45' vis was pretty good. I wonder if there is bad water coming down the lake from run off after the rain?

[mm2002]

Same place, at the dam. Yeah, I'm sure all this rain hasn't helped any, but my theory is that the early onset of cooler air temps may be causing an early turn-over.

[cummings66]

It's that way all over. The local quarry I dive in, well it's 2 hours away, it's acting very similar and not at all like a quarry does. Bottom temps are 42 degrees there already which is early in the year for that.

You might be on to something there.

[Barberman]

Just curious if they ever opened the flood gates or not??? I dove at the dam on 09/02 and had a very enjoyable dive there. I couldn't believe how much the water had gone down on TR since this spring when I was up there. I dive Beaver Lake all the time and the water there hasn't gone down much at all yet.

[cummings66]

I was told the other day that they did open the flood gates.

[BillS]

Hadn't heard weather the gates opened or not. The general plan of the Corps of Engineers is to open the gates when the lake level exceeds 920' and remain open until levels are back down to 920'. The current level is a little under 919' so I assume the gates are now closed. Don't know that for sure though.