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Appalachian Power: Smith Mountain Lake at about 790 ft as drought triggers limit downstream releases
Summary
Appalachian Power told the Bedford County Board of Supervisors that drought conditions have reduced Smith Mountain Lake inflows, triggering lower outflow rules in its FERC‑approved water management plan; a DEQ variance put the project at its lowest allowed outflow (trigger 3) on July 22, and the company said it will remain until lake levels recover.
Rob Mann, external affairs manager for Appalachian Power Company, told the Bedford County Board of Supervisors on July 28 that the Smith Mountain Project has hit multiple drought triggers this spring and summer and that a July 22 variance from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality activated “trigger 3,” the lowest outflow allowed under the company’s Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license and the project’s Water Management Plan.
“We hit trigger point number 1 on April 22,” Mann said. He told the board the current lake level is about 790 feet — roughly five feet below the project’s full pond — and explained that trigger activations reduce downstream releases while maintaining minimum ecological flows. Mann said the variance will remain in effect “until the project reaches full pond.”
Board members pressed Appalachian Power for technical detail about the triggers and operational impacts. Company staff described an 8‑hour capacity test required by PJM that would run all five units at full capacity and can temporarily lower lake levels by about two feet. “We will restore that,” plant manager Brandon Littleton said, adding that Leesville Lake would absorb most of the fluctuation while Smith Mountain’s level drops during the test.
Mann said the water management plan is hydraulically driven (based on inflow vs. outflow), not an elevation target, and that operations are coordinated with FERC, the Virginia DEQ and PJM. He also noted the project posts real‑time lake levels and plan documents at smithmountainproject.com.
Why it matters: the board and lakeside residents asked whether limited releases and capacity testing could affect recreation, marinas and local water users. Mann and his staff said the triggers and variance are designed to prioritize downstream ecology while minimizing impacts to residences, but recovery to full pond requires sustained rainfall.
What’s next: Appalachian Power said it will continue coordinating with regulators and stakeholders and will notify the public ahead of any required capacity tests.
