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July 16, 2007 Governor Riley Says Alabama Shortchanged 18 Billion Gallons of Water During Drought
MONTGOMERY – Governor Bob Riley today urged Army Secretary Pete Geren to order the Army Corps of Engineers to release water from a federal reservoir in Georgia needed to provide drought relief to the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin. In a letter, Governor Riley informed Secretary Geren of serious concerns regarding drought management operations of the Army Corps of Engineers, which operates Lake Allatoona, and controls the flow of water into Alabama in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin. “As a result of the Corps’ willful failure to follow its own manual, more than18 billion gallons of water have been retained in Lake Allatoona that should have flowed into Alabama,” wrote Governor Riley. “That shortfall of water has imperiled Alabama’s public water supply, water quality and power grid, as well as threatened the lay-offs of thousands of Alabama workers whose employers may not have enough water available to operate their businesses.” The Army Corps of Engineers’ refusal to release adequate water into Alabama comes when the state is in the midst of its worst drought in more than 100 years. Although the Corps’ reservoir operation manual for Lake Allatoona indicates that the minimum water releases from that reservoir should have been much greater during the last six months, the Corps has maintained that lake at a level that the manual describes as reflecting normal to wet conditions. Governor Riley described the Corps’ recent operations at Lake Allatoona as “illegal and illogical,” noting that the Corps has been increasing the water level at Lake Allatoona in recent weeks while the levels of reservoirs in Alabama continue to drop. Governor Riley asked that Secretary Geren ensure that the releases conform with the Corps’ operating manual effective immediately. Governor Riley also asked Secretary Geren to expedite critical requests by Alabama Power to lower the required level of releases from its reservoirs in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River Basin. The reduction is necessary to avoid crashing the Alabama Power reservoir system and undermining the power grid, as its lakes are falling to all-time low levels. “The Corps’ acts and omissions have made the severe drought that Alabama is experiencing worse than it needs to be,” wrote Governor Riley. “Taking these two requested steps will help mitigate the damage that the Corps has caused.” The text of the Governor’s letter follows:
Dear Secretary Geren:
I am writing to you concerning the operations of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin.
As you may know, much of the State of Alabama is currently in the midst of the worst drought it has experienced in more than one hundred years. The ACT River Basin is the primary source of water for a substantial portion of Alabama’s citizens, and the non-Corps reservoirs in Alabama have fallen to dangerously low levels.
At the headwaters of the ACT River Basin in Georgia sit Lake Allatoona and Carters Lake, which were both built with federal money and are operated by the Corps. Lake Allatoona is the larger of these projects.
Following the devastating droughts experienced in the ACT River Basin in 1986 and 1988, the Corps expended federal funds to rewrite the reservoir operation manual for Lake Allatoona. Although that manual was never properly finalized or formally adopted, the Corps’ Mobile District Office has stated to representatives of our State that the 1993 draft manual is what the Corps views as the applicable manual for Lake Allatoona.
Notwithstanding its professed adherence to that draft manual, the Corps has repeatedly ignored it to the detriment of the State of Alabama. In the face of the severe drought currently being experienced, the Corps has refused to adhere to the manual’s directives for hydropower generation and the corresponding releases of water from the project. Instead, the Corps has maintained Lake Allatoona at a level that the manual describes as reflecting normal to wet conditions. Although the manual indicates that the Corps should have been generating at least two hours of hydropower per day for the last six months, the Corps has made the minimum hydropower releases on only 6% of the days since February 1, and it has made the minimum hydropower releases on only one day since April 1.
As a result of the Corps’ willful failure to follow its own manual, over 18 billion gallons of water have been retained in Lake Allatoona that should have flowed into Alabama. That shortfall of water has imperiled Alabama’s public water supply, water quality, and power grid, as well as threatened the lay-offs of thousands of Alabama workers whose employers may not have enough water available to operate their businesses.
I brought these concerns to the attention of Brigadier General Joseph Schroedel, the Corps’ commander in the Southeast. General Schroedel personally advised me that the Corps would belatedly begin generating two hours of hydropower per day out of Lake Allatoona on July 1, 2007. Yet, when that date arrived, the promised releases of water did not take place. When I spoke to General Schroedel last week, he offered no explanation for his reneging on this promise, but he made clear to me that Alabama would not be receiving the water called for under the Corps’ manuals.
The failure of the Corps, with the express approval of its leadership, to adhere to its own manual is shocking. The manual expressly states that it was developed in the wake of the two severe droughts in the 1980s, and it acknowledges the important role that releases from Lake Allatoona play in providing essential downstream flows under drought conditions.
When the provisions of the manual relating to drought conditions were brought to General Schroedel’s attention by Alabama officials at a drought summit that he conducted in Columbus, Georgia on June 25, 2007, General Schroedel responded that the interested parties could “forget about the manual” and that the manual was “worthless” in this drought situation. This cavalier disregard of the provisions of the manual that were developed after study of previous severe droughts is outrageous.
The vital downstream interests in Alabama are being given short shrift by the Corps. Instead, the Corps has become obsessed with maintaining Lake Allatoona at the highest possible level, apparently forgetting that Lake Allatoona was built for the purpose of supporting hydropower and navigation. Indeed, General Schroedel admitted to me that the Corps has actually raised the level of Lake Allatoona in the last two weeks. Simply put, if the Corps will not make adequate releases from Lake Allatoona in the face of the most severe drought conditions that Alabama has experienced since records have been kept, then one must conclude that the Corps will never make adequate releases. This is totally unacceptable.
In addition to the Corps’ illegal and illogical operations at Lake Allatoona, the Corps has failed to respond in a timely manner to a critical request by Alabama Power Company to lower the required level of releases from its reservoirs in the ACT River Basin. Alabama Power has an obligation to make releases from its reservoirs sufficient to meet a specified minimum navigation flow in the Alabama River at Montgomery. In late May, Alabama Power requested permission from the Corps to reduce that required flow. Alabama Power explained that the reduction was necessary to avoid crashing its reservoir system later in the summer as its projects fell to unprecedented low levels. Such a depletion of the system could create grave consequences, including imperilment of public water supply, dangerous reduction in water quality, the undermining of the power grid, and far-reaching economic effects.
Faced with this deepening crisis, the Corps has failed to make a decision on Alabama Power’s request. Indeed, representatives of the Corps have indicated that they “hope” to have a response by the end of July. This dilatory conduct is simply unacceptable.
Alabama demands that the Corps immediately begin making hydropower releases from Lake Allatoona of at least two hours per day. In addition, Alabama demands that the Corps make its decision on Alabama Power’s request not later than July 19, 2007. The Corps’ acts and omissions have made the severe drought that Alabama is experiencing worse than it needed to be. Taking these two requested steps will help mitigate the damage that the Corps has caused.
Mr. Secretary, this is a matter of critical importance for the State of Alabama. I request your personal involvement in resolving these vital issues. Should you deem it helpful, I will be happy to come to Washington to meet with you to provide further information on the grave situation that Alabama faces.
Given the time sensitivity of these issues, I would appreciate your providing me a response to this letter by the end of the day on July 18, 2007.
Very truly yours,
Bob Riley Governor | |||
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