Water rising throughout the Catawba River. How high is Lake Wylie, and what’s next.
Several Catawba River lakes either are expected to flood or are flooding, according to Duke Energy.
The company that manages the river and its reservoirs put a notice out Thursday morning that heavy rain has Duke aggressively running water through the river system. Hydro units and flood gates are pouring water to make room for more rain. The public should use caution near rivers, lakes and streams.
Lake Wylie sat just a little above its target elevation a little before 9 a.m. Lake Wylie is more than two feet below its full pond, or point where it would begin to flood if there is more rain or inflow from upstream.
Mountain Island Lake is the nearest upstream reservoir. It’s where Charlotte gets its drinking water. Mountain Island Lake will start spilling by noon today, according to Duke. The lake will reach a level at least two feet above its capacity. It could go higher.
Already on Thursday morning Lake Rhodhiss and Lookout Shoals Lake upstream sit at flood levels. Rhodhiss is almost three feet beyond its full pond. Lookout Shoals is almost eight feet beyond full. According to an emergency notification for Lookout Shoals, property owners there begin to experience impacts to their properties at one foot above full pond.
The Catawba has 11 reservoirs. As the largest, lakes James and Wylie typically don’t reach or far exceed flood stage. Duke can run water from them to regulate levels throughout the system. Norman was more than a foot above its target elevation Thursday morning, but still two feet below its full pond.
According to Duke, Wateree will spill Friday morning. How high water gets there won’t be known until it stops raining. Wateree is the southernmost reservoir in the bi-state river system.
Duke warned that, along with possible flooding, navigational hazards are possible on and around water bodies.
“We urge people living along lakes and rivers or in flood-prone areas to use caution, follow directions from emergency managers, pay close attention to changing weather and streamflow conditions and stay informed,” reads the company notice.
By noon lakes Wylie and Norman rose to within a foot and a half of their full pond levels. Mountain Island Lake sat just inches below its full pond. Lookout Shoals surpassed eight feet above its spill point, and Rhodhiss three feet above its top elevation. Lake Hickory, like Mountain Island, rose to just inches below its full pond.
By 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Mountain Island topped its full pond.
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This story was originally published November 12, 2020 at 11:22 AM.
