NASHVILLE– The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is managing releases as appropriate at its dams on the Cumberland River and its tributaries due to recent and ongoing rain events and those forecasted for the next week.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for much of the Cumberland River Basin and is forecasting the potential for some rivers and streams to surpass flood stage. Due to the wet conditions the area has experienced in December, seasonally high lake levels are observed at the four flood control storage reservoirs in the Cumberland River System. Releases from Wolf Creek Dam, Dale Hollow Dam, Center Hill Dam and J. Percy Priest Dam are being moved through the run of the river projects, which are Cordell Hull Dam, Old Hickory Dam and Cheatham Dam.
Due to high flows and established regulations, Cheatham Lock is closed to all navigation traffic until flows from the project recede below 90,000 cubic feet per second. The National Weather Service predicts an additional one to two inches of precipitation Jan. 3-4.
Depending on the rainfall totals and intensity, unregulated tributaries of the Cumberland River may be affected as well. Appropriate flood watches and warnings would be issued by the National Weather Service. Additionally, river stage forecasts are updated at least daily.
Nashville District’s water managers are closely monitoring the Cumberland River System and communicating with local, state, and federal partners to best regulate releases from the basin’s 10 multipurpose reservoirs. The public is urged to keep safely away from swift moving currents and to never drive on a roadway covered by water.
(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps, http://www.facebook.com/cheathamlake and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.)
