MOBILE, Ala.-- Brigadier General David Turner, Commander South Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and approved the Water Control Manuals for the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa Rivers basin on May 4, 2015.
The water control manuals comply with all applicable laws and reflect operations in the basin under existing congressional authorizations taking into account changes in basin hydrology and demands from years of growth and development, new/rehabilitated project features, legal and environmental issues.
"The manuals and accompanying EIS were developed after extensive stakeholder, state and agency input over a period of several years," said E. Patrick Robbins, Public Affairs Officer, Mobile District. "These manuals provide the framework on how the federal projects in the ACT basin will be operated for their authorized purposes in light of current conditions and applicable law."
The water control manuals provide the first basin-wide drought operations plan developed in collaboration with Alabama Power Company projects and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The drought operations plan includes triggers and dam releases/flow targets to conserve storage during periods of drought.
The updated manuals also provide support to commercial navigation on the Alabama River, again in a collaborative effort with the Alabama Power Company projects, assuming channel maintenance activities. Additional flows below Carters Lake are also being provided for environmental purposes.
The manuals are based on current water storage contract amounts at Federal projects. The new water control manuals do not modify or reallocate any water supply storage in the basin. No final agency action has been taken with respect to future water supply needs. However, the EIS does recognize that current amounts do not meet growth and future needs.