Lake Thunderbird water level

[ChrisHayes]

What is the normal value they like Lake Thunderbird to be? Just a week ago it was in flood, but they've drained so much water out that it's now down to 87% capacity. That seems a bit low. We're no longer in drought, but I hope they aren't becoming shortsighted

[Zuplar]

Currently it's at 1047.57 normal is 1039. I know the lake can function a little high, but only a few feet. From what I've seen they have been releasing water until it's about 3 or 4 feet above normal and closing the gates. Of course this depends on the lake cause some, like Broken Bow, can function just fine 10 feet high. I guarantee they aren't draining lakes to the top of the normal conservation pool and leaving it. Essentially they are leaving a buffer on all the lakes for the summer, which is a good thing.

[jn1780]

What is the normal value they like Lake Thunderbird to be? Just a week ago it was in flood, but they've drained so much water out that it's now down to 87% capacity. That seems a bit low. We're no longer in drought, but I hope they aren't becoming shortsighted

I think it helps to define the terminology used by the army core of engineers. When the water is at the top of the normal elevation of the conservation pool the lake is considered "full" or normal. Right now about 79% percent of the floor pool is being used which is the spare capacity built into the lake to handle excess water. They don't want to push the lake to its maximum design limits for an extended length of time so they lower it to use about 3/4th of the flood pool.

[ChrisHayes]

When I saw it was at 87%, that's at flood pool capacity. I was thinking it was at 87% conservation pool capacity. I went down there a while ago and it's still flooded quite a bit.