Quote:
Originally Posted by greeleyhill
If we had to choose the lesser of two evils, is it better to have flooded lake levels or drought conditions? Each has their downside but what is the better of the two?
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I would say it depends on how much extra or shortage of water and at what time of year. For example, a moderate amount extra in the fall when lake level has started down anyway is no problem. It would bring it up to summer levels but could be bleed off over a month or so. The same amount in the late spring when the lake is already full would be a completely different story. There would be no extra capacity to store it and no time to drain it as normal spring rains keep filling the lake.
Independent of time of year, I would judge too little water a bigger problem because you can't make up for the loss until the weather cooperates. You have no control. With too much water you can drain it off, up to a point.
However, extreme drought (like this fall), in and of itself, while annoying probably doesn't harm the lake (?). Boaters bottom out more but smart boaters avoid shallow spots. Very high water does cause erosion problems, floods docks and shore areas, and can force speed limits on boaters.
It's not a simple equation.