Torrential rain in the Beaver Lake watershed in late April, combined with continuing rain in early May, has led to the decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to open the Beaver Dam flood.gates and warn boaters about debris in the water.
Beaver Lake Manager Michael Richards said Tuesday that the lake is nearly to the top of its flood pool.
“We have opened all seven gates a half foot and we are letting out 37,000 cubic feet per second,” Richards said. “At this point, the goal is to match inflow. We want to let whatever water is coming in to flow through. That way the lake levels don’t continue to rise beyond where we want them to be.”
Richards said the primary objective of the Beaver Dam project is to reduce flooding downstream. He said the system is functioning in that capacity.
“Right now, I don’t anticipate anyone being flooded with our release,” he said. “But if we continue to get a lot of rainfall, everything could change.”
Campsites at five campgrounds on Beaver Lake, including the Dam Site RV Park, have been closed. Campsites close to the water that are easily inundated had to be taken out of service for safety reasons. Some campsites on higher ground are still open.
Work has been done out on the island at Beaver Dam Site Park to elevate some of the campsites. Richards said that has allowed them to keep some sites open whereas, in the past, they were all closed. Some picnic areas have also been closed.
Boaters on Beaver Lake, Table Rock Lake or on White River below the dam are advised to proceed cautiously and slowly because of debris that has been washed into the water.
“A lot of the tributaries that normally don’t get out of their banks got out and deposited a lot of debris in the lake,” Richards said. “We have debris in areas where we haven’t had it before. Things have changed quite a bit. For safety reasons, boaters should keep a watch on it and slow down some on their boating because a collision with debris could not only damage the boat, but cause injuries or deaths.”
Table Rock Lake backs up to Beaver Dam when waters are rising. In the past that has sometimes led to the suspension bridge in Beavertown being closed. Beaver RV Park Manager Debbie Robinson said Tuesday that the flood levels are not that high yet in Beaver. While some campsites in Beaver close to the water have been closed due to high water, other campsites are still open.