smallwood lake refill

As Smallwood Dam approaches the substantial completion milestone, we want to provide information on lake refill.

​To "refill" an impounded lake, the flow of water through the river system has to be slowed (in this case by the dam) for the lake level to rise. This process is surrounded by regulatory requirements and is dependent upon the weather. ​

​One regulatory requirement is that a minimum flow of water must continue through the dam so as to not disrupt the natural river system that occurs downstream.
When there is below-normal rainfall, as the National Weather Service is forecasting for the remainder of summer and early fall, this results in lower-than-average flows and therefore less water available to fill the lake and maintain minimum flow.
Other dam safety requirements we have to follow:

• Maximum refill rate is 1 foot per day
• The refill plan requires a minimum two-week hold at the winter level elevation

If we happened to have good amounts of rain, the fastest Smallwood Lake could refill is 23 days. Assuming a starting pool elevation of 696 feet, refill would take five days to get to the hold point/winter level of 701.3 feet NAVD88 + two weeks at the hold point + another four days to reach final pool elevation of 704.6 feet NAVD88.
 
However, based on the minimum flow required to be passed through Smallwood Dam, expected rainfall amounts, and the two-week hold, we estimate refill to take 57 days. If refill begins at the beginning of August, Smallwood Lake would reach its normal legal level in late September. 

We will continue to keep property owners updated on Smallwood Lake refill as it approaches and progresses. 

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smallwood lake refill preperation

In the final days before refill, we ask all property owners to perform basic shoreline clean-up to minimize the amount of debris that builds up along shorelines and in cuts and floats to the dam. ​