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Presenter: Lake Helen was 7 feet higher than normal, reducing storage and altering flood models
Summary
The presenter said Lake Helen was about 7 feet higher than normal during a recent event, reducing available storage by seven feet and changing model outcomes so a road flooded under those higher-stage inputs; the presenter also warned that lowering leg levels can create mud holes in dry seasons.
The presenter said Lake Helen was roughly 7 feet higher than normal during the referenced event, which reduced available storage and changed modeling results. "Lake Helen were 7 feet higher than normal what normal should have been. So that was 7 feet less storage that you had available to you during that event, and it made a difference in the modeling," the presenter said.
Using those higher lake levels in models changed local flood outcomes: when the road between the two lakes was modeled at a normal elevation it did not flood, but when the model used the higher observed lake levels it did flood. The presenter also cautioned about management actions: lowering leg levels to mitigate flooding can be unpopular with boaters and, if the expected wet season inflow does not occur, can leave exposed mud holes. "I think they're probably going to find lowering of the leg levels to be less objectionable during the dry season ... if you don't get the wet season that you thought you were gonna get, you end up with a mud hole," the presenter said.
