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This ain't good! #11381628 01/31/16 04:37 AM
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hook-line&sinker Offline OP
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LAKE WHITNEY (January 8, 2016) The rehabilitation of the turbines at the Whitney Power Plant operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has led to some closures and an increased hazard immediately downstream from the Lake Whitney Dam.

Before the work was done, the turbines each released about 2,200 cubic feet of water per second, the Corps of Engineers said Friday.

A warning horn would sound and five to eight minutes later, people in the area of the dam would see a gradual release of water, the corps said.

The rehabilitated turbines release about 3,000 cubic feet of water per second and operate in a mode that responds automatically to support the states power grid, the corps said.

That means that when the warning horn sounds, water releases will be immediate and a large amount of water will cause the river to rise rapidly due to the operational mode of the turbines, the corps said.

Visitors to the area below Whitney dam are advised to use extreme caution, the corps said.

The Riverside West boat launch area is now closed to the public and Riverside East camping loop is closed to pedestrian access to the riverbank while signage is changed, the corps said.


When those areas reopen, significant changes will be made in water access, the corps said.

Boats may still be launched from Riverside West, but swimming and wading will not be permitted.

The corps also advises caution when fishing along the banks of the Brazos River from USACE fee land.

Operational changes will cause water levels to rise immediately and will give little time for fishermen to retreat to higher ground.


>)));> Wishin' I was Fishin' <;(((<

“Personnel is the most vital and important aspect of any industry.
If you’re just going to grind them up, it’s not going to end well for anybody.”
SCOTT REINARDY


Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11381914 01/31/16 02:37 PM
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Yea, that's not good, they need to fix that, and not with just signs


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Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11383256 02/01/16 01:12 PM
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River Mongrel Offline
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Communism plain and simple


Keep em tight!
Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11383300 02/01/16 01:42 PM
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Unfortunately it will take a few injuries or (heaven forbid) deaths for this plan to change. Bad news for locals and visiting fishermen alike. Not cool Lake Whitney.

Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11383334 02/01/16 01:58 PM
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armadilla Offline
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The government doesn't care...... It is all about THEM and how easy life can be for them.... all controls are now computer controlled elsewhere.. .not at Whitney.


the armadilla....



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Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11383485 02/01/16 03:23 PM
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that's life, the Army Corps owns the lake, and they are not going to stop making electricity to keep a few folks from getting drowned,

Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11383566 02/01/16 03:57 PM
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If they banned us from every body of water that people drown in we wouldn't have a place to fish. That is a fact.


Keep em tight!
Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11383592 02/01/16 04:07 PM
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I get the need to automatically respond to the grid's needs and switch on generation on demand, but I do think they could have a predictive alerting system. It could warn that the generators might turn on soon, and then if they weren't needed, there could be an all clear signal. There's no way their monitoring can't identify even short term usage trends.

Re: This ain't good! [Re: HeavyLead] #11383657 02/01/16 04:34 PM
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Originally Posted By: HeavyLead
I get the need to automatically respond to the grid's needs and switch on generation on demand, but I do think they could have a predictive alerting system. It could warn that the generators might turn on soon, and then if they weren't needed, there could be an all clear signal. There's no way their monitoring can't identify even short term usage trends.

Every tailrace ive ever fished gives warning horn before generation or gate change. Plenty time to get out.


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Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11384039 02/01/16 07:22 PM
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MSKFC had a guest speaker from TPWD last year and he was the Texas native fish species expert. I remember him saying that some of the native fish like Guadalupe bass and some gar don't spawn like normal fish and prefer to have flash flood conditions to spawn. He said due to the dams that generate and them doing slow gradual increases and decreases, that the fish would not spawn. He said that they are working with power providers to help with longer more flood style conditions. I wonder if this is part of that?

Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11387308 02/02/16 11:02 PM
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hook-line&sinker Offline OP
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This is a situation where demand for electricity is growing as the population of the state grows. The power company reworked their generators to respond automatically and run more efficiently. Most lakes in Texas were built for flood control, water conservation and a few are large enough to support hydroelectric power plants like Whitney. Recreational activities on these lakes don't even hit the bottom of the scale of importance to the primary purpose of the lake.


>)));> Wishin' I was Fishin' <;(((<

“Personnel is the most vital and important aspect of any industry.
If you’re just going to grind them up, it’s not going to end well for anybody.”
SCOTT REINARDY


Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11387607 02/03/16 01:19 AM
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Man, this thread went from 0 to "get your tin foil hat" in no time.

Great information hook-line&sinker.

Last edited by Neumie; 02/03/16 01:20 AM.

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Re: This ain't good! [Re: Neumie] #11388092 02/03/16 05:13 AM
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Originally Posted By: Neumie
Man, this thread went from 0 to "get your tin foil hat" in no time.

Great information hook-line&sinker.
banana

Re: This ain't good! [Re: hook-line&sinker] #11389757 02/03/16 11:24 PM
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Nothing is really changing except for the volume of water being released at max generating capacity. There has never been an advance warning when the generators kick in.

What has changed is the volume that will be flowing is a lot more than previous producing higher water levels and faster flow than before.

I think it will prove out that what gave the appearance of a delay was that generators do not turn on instantly like a light switch. The spool up time that is required will probably be a bit longer to get to the new almost 50% higher capacity being released.

But "just in case" I will be setting up an aluminum foil stand near the parking lot.

Good analysis Neumie smile

This is directly from the Corps site from 2013 warning page

""Riverside East Park, located on the Hill county side of the dam has long been a popular location for river
access. Daily, visitors come to wade in the river, fly fish, and launch boats. It is paramount that visitors do not
venture beyond the posted signage. This is due to the danger associated with the release of water from the
dams hydropower plant.
Although with each release or change in flow a warning siren is sounded, there is no delay between the siren
and the release or change in flow of the water
. Therefore, not only is activity beyond the posted signage
forbidden and considered a violation of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, it is a huge safety risk. In
addition, water recreation in the riverbed outside the restricted area will also experience increased flow and
potentially dangerous conditions during water releases. As in any undesignated swimming area, caution should
be used in these areas as well. ""

I am headed upstream to the Nolan for sandies anyway.

Last edited by Carver; 02/03/16 11:25 PM.

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