As drought conditions continue across much of Virginia, Appalachian Power Company is changing the way it operates the Smith Mountain Project to help save water at Smith Mountain Lake and Leesville Lake.
The company says water levels at both lakes are much lower than normal because the region has not seen enough rain in recent months. Officials say the dry conditions are some of the worst the area has seen in years.
To help conserve water, Appalachian Power has started reducing how much water flows out of the dams under its approved drought plan. The company put the first stage of the plan in place on April 27 and moved to a second stage on May 11.
Appalachian Power officials explained how the system works and why the drought is making operations more difficult.
“There’s two dams here at Smith Mountain Project,” Appalachian Power spokesperson Izzy Post Ruhland said. “You have Smith Mountain Lake, which goes into the Smith Mountain Dam. The Smith Mountain Dam then pumps into Leesville Lake, and then Leesville Lake pumps down to the Roanoke River.”
Ruhland said the company is legally required to release water downstream from Leesville Dam, even during drought conditions, to meet environmental and licensing requirements. But after reaching drought trigger points, Appalachian Power reduced those outflows to help conserve water in the lakes.
“So when we hit these trigger points, we have reduced the flows going downstream to the Roanoke River to kind of help protect the water here in Smith Mountain,” Ruhland said.
Joshua Blake, a maintenance superintendent with Appalachian Power’s hydro generation division, said low water levels directly affect the company’s ability to generate electricity.
“Our generation capabilities are hampered in scenarios like this,” Blake said. “Any hydro generation facility does operate off of what’s called head, which is a difference between the upstream side of a dam and the downstream.”
Blake explained that Appalachian Power uses a forecasting model that looks at how much water is flowing into the lakes compared to how much is flowing out.
“It’s actually looking at how much water is actually coming into the project or the lake and how much is going out of the lake,” Blake said. “So it’s a balancing act trying to look at all the interests involved.”
Blake said the company hit its first drought trigger on April 27 and a second trigger on May 11, leading to additional reductions in downstream water releases from Leesville Dam.
Despite the lower water levels, officials stressed that customers should not worry about losing electricity during the recent hot weather.
“Everything’s stable, the grid’s stable,” Ruhland said.
Blake said Appalachian Power relies on a mix of energy sources — including hydro, coal, natural gas, wind and solar — to help keep power reliable even when hydro generation is limited.
“We have such a diverse portfolio between wind, hydro, natural gas and coal-fired that we were able to call upon our other units internally to make up that demand as needed,” Blake said.
Blake also explained that Smith Mountain operates similarly to a large battery because hydroelectric power can respond quickly during emergencies or periods of high demand.
“We’re one of the fastest sources to get energy onto the grid,” Blake said. “We can get there in three to five minutes.”
Officials said the drought affecting Smith Mountain Lake is part of a much larger regional issue. Blake noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared 24 Virginia counties drought disaster areas in April, including Franklin County.
“One storm, one weekend, here and there is not going to fix this problem, unfortunately,” Blake said. “We would need a prolonged period of time of precipitation.”
Appalachian Power is encouraging residents and visitors to use extra caution on and around the water. Low lake levels can make boating more difficult and may affect docks, boat ramps and navigation in shallow areas and coves.
10 News got an exclusive look at the changing lake conditions during a ride along with Appalachian Power officials. Stay with 10 News for continuing coverage of the drought and its impact across the region.
More information and lake updates are available on Appalachian Power’s Smith Mountain Project website.