By Josh Smith
Anchor / WJHL
Published: August 14, 2008

Have you noticed the lake levels at South Holston and Watauga?

A friend who’s spent years boating on Watauga Lake told me the last time it’s been this low at this time of year was back in the 1980’s when TVA lowered the lake the repair the Watauga Dam.

I’m told Boone Lake isn’t so low, but I’ve not seen it myself in a few weeks.

Yesterday, I called Gil Francis, the Knoxville-based spokesman for TVA.  He said the drought is to blame and that South Holston is one of the driest spots in the TVA region.  Also, Francis said Watauga and South Holston reservoirs are critical water sources at the head of the entire TVA watershed.  So to keep water quality good and power plants operational and cooled downstream, the upstream lakes had to be lowered.

Why hasn’t Boone been so severely impacted?  Francis said, despite what some may think, TVA manages alll the lakes in “an equitable manner.“  He said Boone Lake’s level depends on the “flow of the river” and isn’t as impacted by drought as South Holston and Watauga.

Francis said he’s heard complaints about the low lake levels, so TVA is in the process of planning a news conference to explain the drought impact.

What’s your take on the local lake level issue?  Have you noticed a lake level discrepancy?