NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Ahead of this week's rain, the U.S. Corps of Engineers in Nashville said it will monitor river, lake and dam intake across Middle Tennessee.
This will include monitoring Cordell Hull Lake and Old Hickory Lake with six to seven inches of rain in the forecast. The upcoming rain has put the Army Corps at a Level 3, which is putting the agency on watch and coordinating with extra staff to prepare. Levels progress down with Level 1 being emergent.
"The Nashville District is taking proactive steps to manage this significant rainfall event by utilizing our flood storage capacity and adjusting reservoir operations," said Lt. Col. Robert Green, USACE Nashville District commander. "Our priority is to reduce flood risks, support safe navigation, and keep the public informed as conditions evolve."
Here are the areas the Army Corps is watching.
- Due to the high volume of expected rainfall, navigation at Cheatham Lock may be impacted by this weekend, with potential short-term restrictions or closures lasting approximately two to three days.
- The USACE storage reservoirs of J. Percy Priest, Center Hill, Dale Hollow, and Wolf Creek currently have empty flood storage zones and may see rapid rises in lake levels as they hold back flood waters. These waters will be slowly released after the rain ends to prepare them for future events.
- Cordell Hull, Old Hickory, and Cheatham Dams do not have built-in flood storage and must release the water that runs into them, this may be done using their spillway gates or hydropower turbines, depending on the dam and how much water they must release.
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