Turbine outlets for Table Rock Lakes Generation Units showing only Units 1 and 2 operating.
Many were surprised when the Corps of Engineers opened eight of the 10 spillways on Table Rock Dam at about noon on May 12, 2015. Not to worry; the release has more to do with a maintenance problem than any abnormal water level problems. James Sandberg, the Operations Project Manager responsible for all of the Corps operations at Table Rock Lake said that during the storms last weekend they lost a “transformer differential” and were forced to shut down two of the dams four generators, “Units 3 and 4.”
The Current Power Pool (Normal) Level as of May 12 is 916.3 on its way to the lakes “Summer Power Pool Level of 917.0 on June 1. The actual current level of Table Rock Lake, as of 3:00 p.m. on May 12 was 917.74. Sandburg said, “Since the lake is predicted to crest at 918 msl, we are required to release 15K CFS [Cubic Feet Per Second]. We can only pass approximately 7K through Units 1 & 2, so we will be spilling approximately 8K CFS through the spillway…” He went on to say that the total discharge is the same as it would have been if all four Units were generating power and that he expects the operation to continue this way until the lake gets back to below a level of 917.0.
The latest levels for Table Rock Lake indicate that it has crested at 917.74 and has started to drop. If that holds and history is any gauge, absent heavy rains in the near future, the level of Table Rock Lake should reach 917.0 over the weekend of May 15.
“That’s great news,” said Annette Wood, the Director of Sales and Marketing for the Branson Tourism Center, one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services and sellers of Branson show and attraction tickets and lodging. “Table Rock Lake will be at its normal summer capacity as the tourism season starts, offering Branson visitors a virtual aquatic paradise of a full 43,100 surface acres and 745 miles of shoreline for fishing, boating, swimming, water sports and fun to enjoy,” she continued.