The Army Corps of Engineers managing water releases from dams at Center Hill, Dale Hollow, and Cordell Hull to maintain stable lake levels despite a significant lack of rainfall.
Robert Dillingham manages the Upper Cumberland District for the the Corps of Engineers. Dillingham said the Corps purposefully reduces water releases throughout the summer and early fall.
“It’s been a very challenging year for us so far in water management,” Dillingham said. “But actually, as of the first of the first of October, they’re all very near where their historical median elevation is for this time of year.”
Dillingham said the Corps operates the reservoirs using a seasonal guide curve that fills the lakes in the spring and draws them down during the summer and fall. Dillingham said the region typically sees very little rainfall or runoff during this period, so the system is designed to function without expecting significant precipitation.
“I would absolutely welcome some rainfall, but because we were able to get them filled somewhat this year, we have had plenty of water to keep things moving, to continue to meet our hydropower minimums and our water quality minimum flows and things like that to keep a healthy river system flowing downstream,” Dillingham said.
Dillingham said Cordell Hull has remained at normal levels because it does not experience the same fluctuations as Dale Hollow and Center Hill. Dillingham said the dry spring season from February through May prevented the lakes from reaching their typical peak elevations.
“At Center Hill, Dale Hollow, I have no control over how much water flows into those lakes,” Dillingham said. “That’s given to me by rainfall. And so we were at very low releases all February, March, April, May trying to fill those reservoirs and Mother Nature just did not cooperate.”
Dillingham said the dams serve as drought insurance for the region by providing a stable water supply for communities like Byrdstown, Livingston, Albany, and Cookeville. Dillingham said the Corps makes daily and monthly adjustments to dam discharges to maintain downstream health even when Nashville observes months with zero rainfall.
Dillingham said a multi-year drought extending into 2027 would be required to cause significant problems, as rainfall patterns historically turn around by late November or early December.