Boaters warned of low levels in some lakes

LITTLE ROCK — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is warning boaters of low water levels on its five reservoir lakes in Arkansas as a lack of rainfall and increased demands for hydroelectricity generated at the lakes have created shallower conditions.

Boaters are warned to watch for stumps, rocks and debris that are normally submerged at this time of year.

“This is normally the rainy season,” Corps spokeswoman Laurie Driver told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “This fall and winter has been drier than average.”

Those conditions have left Beaver, Bull Shoals, Greers Ferry, Norfork and Table Rock lakes from 5 to 10 feet below normal levels, she said.

Driver said the low levels aren’t unusual — the five have been this low at least eight times in the past 20 years — but because of flooding in recent years people may have become accustomed to higher water levels and forget to pay attention in shallow areas of the lakes.

Boaters are being asked to stay in main river channels and give shorelines wide berths. They also are encouraged to stay on the side of a lake with bluffs since water there is generally deeper.

“It’s not really the boating season now, and that’s a good thing,” Driver said. “Most of the people out on lakes are fishermen.”

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows a portion of west-central Arkansas in extreme drought and a swath from west-central through north-central Arkansas in moderate to severe drought.

The lower levels haven’t hurt marinas yet.

Dan Weber, manager of Jordan Marina on Lake Norfork, said water at his docks is about 5 feet below normal. He said it hasn’t hindered launches, and he’s pleased with the low-water conditions.

“We’ve had a lot of flooding in the past few years,” he said. “There’s room for springtime rains, so we won’t flood out.”

The lack of rainfall is not worrisome to farmers yet, said Jackson County Cooperative Extension Agent Matthew Davis.

“We’re almost in the prime time for pre-planting, so this helps,” Davis said. “The lack of water doesn’t necessarily affect us now, but later on in the year, if we don’t get spring rains, it will definitely cause some worry.”

The Corps will monitor its lake levels and generate electricity accordingly, Driver said.

“Our lakes are in good shape,” she said. “They are operating as designed. We could use some rain, though.”