Flood Control U. S. Army Corps of Engineers - Mobile District Flood Control Floods are the cause of the greatest and quickest changes in lake levels.
Heavy rains produce floods which can raise a lake level several feet overnight.
When floods are over it is important to get the lake ready to store the next flood that may be coming along. Because of the release of flood waters, rivers below a flood control dam will stay high and swift for many days after a large flood. Downstream boaters in Springtime need to be extra cautious since stored flood waters are very cold as well as swift and deep. When a flood event is occurring, releases from the dam are curtailed or minimized until downstream conditions allow making greater releases or if the lake reaches its capacity to hold flood waters. Once conditions do allow resuming releases, the releases are made in manner to evacuate the flood waters as quickly as possible to prepare for the next potential flood event.