Mobile District River System Status for November 17, 2017 Weather Update The Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) in Figure 1 shows forecasted precipitation for the next 7 days. Figure 2 shows the precipitation that occurred for the 7 day period ending on November 17, 2017. Figure 3 shows the 30 year normal precipitation for the month of November. Figure 4 shows the 6 to 10 day precipitation probability outlook, made November 16, with below normal rainfall expected throughout the District except the extreme southeast District where normal rainfall is expected. Figure 5 provides the proportion of total annual stream flow normally seen in November. The US Drought Monitor map for November 14, 2017, in Figure 6, shows moderate drought conditions expanding in east central Mississippi and developing in extreme southwestern Georgia. Figure 1: 1-7 Day Precipitation Outlook Figure 2: Observed Precipitation 11/10/2017 to 11/17/2017
Figure 3: 30-yr Normal Precipitation for November Figure 4: Precipitation Probability 6 to 10 Day Outlook
Figure 5: November Streamflow as a Proportion of the Total Annual Flow Figure 6: U.S. Drought Monitor 11/14/2017
Projects Update The upper Alabama Coosa Tallapoosa (ACT) Basin experienced generally drier conditions this past week. Allatoona pool, at elevation 835.1 feet, is slightly above the top of conservation pool. Carters pool is at elevation 1073.0 feet. No threshold indicators have been triggered under the drought regulation guidelines for the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Alabama Rivers for the APC projects. The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Basin also experienced generally drier conditions this past week. The composite conservation storage is currently in Zone 2, as can be seen in Figure 7. Normal operations, which resumed on June 1 st, remain in force. Lake Lanier pool storage has been unchanged over the past week, and top of pool elevation is at 1065.6 feet. West Point pool, at 628.8 feet, is below the top of conservation elevation. W F George pool, at approximately 187.5 feet, is also below the top of conservation elevation. Current release to the Apalachicola from Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam is based on normal operations provisions and is approximately 8,030 cfs. Figure 7: ACF Composite Storage Chart 11/13/2017 Cumulative 2017 calendar year daily inflow charts for Buford (Lake Lanier), Allatoona, and Carters, are provided in Figures 8 through 10, respectively. These charts provide cumulative inflow comparisons between the current year and the wettest year(s) on record, the driest year(s) and the median. The project cumulative 2017 calendar year inflow volumes for Buford, Allatoona and Carters, as a percentage of the median cumulative calendar year inflow volumes, are approximately 55%, 62% and 69%, respectively. For Lake Lanier, 1986 is the driest calendar year on record. The 2007 calendar year is provided as a recent dry reference year as shown on Figure 8. The 2017 calendar year is the tenth driest year to date, with 60 years of record. The 1964 calendar year is the wettest year. For Allatoona, the 2017 calendar year is the ninth driest year to date. Figure 9 provides several reference years. The wettest calendar year with 66 years of record is 1964. The third wettest calendar year is 2013 and provides a recent wetyear reference. The driest calendar year is 1986 with 2007 total inflow volume near the 1986 record low. For Carters, 1990 is the wettest calendar year. The 2013 calendar year is the second wettest and provides a recent wetyear reference. The driest calendar year is 2008 and provides a recent dry-year reference as shown in Figure 10. The 2017 calendar year is the eleventh driest year to date.
Figure 8: Lake Lanier 2017 Calendar Year Cumulative Average Daily Inflows To Date Figure 9: Allatoona 2017 Calendar Year Cumulative Average Daily Inflows To Date
Figure 10: Carters 2017 Calendar Year Cumulative Average Daily Inflows To Date The status of the Mobile District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects for the week of 11/16/2017 through 11/24/2017 is shown below: Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa Basin Table 1 ACT Projects Current Elevation (ft) Projected One Week Elevation (ft) Allatoona 835.08 834.0 Carters 1073.00 1073.0 R.F. Henry 124.13 125.6 Millers Ferry 80.23 80.7 Table 2 ACT Projects Inflow (cfs) Inflows (% of Average)* Allatoona 754 64% Carters 472 87% *Current Daily Average Inflows as compared to Historical Daily Average Inflows by month. Table 3 ACT Projects Allatoona Carters (Rereg) Expected 7 day Average Releases (cfs) 1,420 (1,420 wkdy/ 1,420 wknd) 500 (500 wkdy/ 500 wknd) Links to forecasts: Allatoona: http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/actcharts.pdf
Carters: http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/actcharts2.pdf River Stages: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/serfc/ The current Claiborne TW reading is 13.8 ft. Navigators should contact the Navigation Section at (251) 694-3708 for the latest update on dredging operations, controlling depths and river conditions. Entities wishing to move cargo on the Alabama River system should contact the Coosa-Alabama River Improvement Association (CARIA) to coordinate your shipping schedule during the low water conditions. The phone number is (334) 265-5744. Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin Table 4 ACF Projects Current Elevation (ft) Projected One Week Elevation (ft) Lanier 1065.62 1065.5 West Point 628.84 629.0 Walter F. George 187.49 187.1 Woodruff 76.67 76.7 Table 5 ACF Projects Inflow (cfs) Inflows (% of Average)* Lanier 855 57% West Point 552 25% Walter F. George 1,165 47% Woodruff 4,110 60% *Current Daily Average Inflows as compared to Historical Daily Average Inflows by month. Table 6 ACF Projects Expected 7 day Average Releases (cfs) Lanier 950 ( 950 wkdy /950 wknd) West Point 1,310 ( 1,310 wkdy / 1,310 wknd) Walter F. George 3,300 ( 3,580 wkdy / 2,600 wknd) Woodruff 8,800 6,900 (range) Links to forecasts: ACF: http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/acfcomposite.htm Lake Lanier: http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/acfcharts.pdf West Point: http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/acfcharts2.pdf George: http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/acfcharts3.pdf Lake Seminole: http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/acfcharts4.pdf Blountstown: http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/acfcharts5.pdf Navigation interests should contact the Corps of Engineers Navigation Section at 251-694-3708 for the latest update on controlling depths and river conditions. Pascagoula River Basin Table 7 Pascagoula Projects Current Elevation (ft) Projected One Week Elevation (ft) Okatibbee 340.74 340.22
Black Warrior Tombigbee & Tenn-Tom Basins Below Coffeeville Dam tailwater elevation is near 2.9 ft. Links to forecasts: Alabama: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/serfc/ahps_rvfms.php BWT & Tenn-Tom Rivers: http:/water.sam.usace.army.mil/forecast_points.htm#bwt Other Information and Links All reservoir levels mentioned above are in feet above NGVD and flows are in cubic feet per second (cfs). USGS Real-Time Reservoir and Stream Levels can be accessed at this link, by selecting a specific state or geographic area: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt The National Weather Service River Forecast Center provides forecasts and impact levels which can be accessed at this link: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/serfc/index.php The latest weekly U.S. Drought Monitor can be accessed at: http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ The latest navigation bulletin can be accessed via this link: http://navigation.sam.usace.army.mil/docs/index.asp?type=nn. Additional information and graphs can be accessed on the Water Management web page at: http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/