Water Levels at Falls Lake
Wednesday, February 20 2008
by Yasmeen Khan
| 
Send to a friend
The Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to reduce the flow from Falls Lake to the Neuse River in an effort to boost Raleigh's water supply. The Corps has cut flow by nine percent -- saving three million gallons per day in Falls Lake. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Penny Schmitt says the Corps consulted with a water management team before making the decision -- and received feedback on water quality, aquatic life and industries downstream.
"Part of the reason that we're able to calibrate the flows so closely and say well we can maybe pull it back just another five cubic feet per second and make everything work is before everyone in the water management group lets us know exactly what they need to continue to work effectively."
Dean Naujuks is the Upper Neuse Riverkeeper with the non-profit Neuse River Foundation. He says he thinks the Corps of Engineers has made the wrong decision since the flow out of Falls Lake was at a minimum even before the reduction.
"For a lot of people it's like of course it's an obvious decision for Wake County residents to want to actually provide more water in Falls Lake. I totally understand that. But, you know, this is a river system that the Corps in charge of managing."
Naujuks says fisheries and industries downstream could suffer from the reduced flow. And the cut could compromise water quality.
