Jordan Lake flooding leads engineers to release water into Haw River
AND WE STILL HAVE MORE RAIN
IN THE FORECAST AS WE CALL
OUTLINE THAT COMING UP. OH,
BOY, AND YOU KNOW ALL OF THAT
RAIN OVER THE LAST WEEK AND A
HALF HAS HAD SOMEWHERE TO GO
RIGHT WITH RIGHT NOW. JORDAN
LAKE IS ABOUT 12 TO 13 FEET
ABOVE.
>> WHERE IT SHOULD BE AND IT'S
WHY CREWS ARE RELEASING SOME
OF IT SENDING WATERS RANGING
FROM THE DAM TODAY TO GET THE
LAKE LEVELS DOWN. WRAL'S.
JOHN GALLAGHER IS LIVE AT
JORDAN LAKE IN CHATHAM COUNTY
TONIGHT. AND SEAN, HARD TO TELL
THAT THE LAKE LEVELS ARE AS
HIGH AS THEY ARE. WHEN WE LOOK
BEHIND YOU.
>> YEAH, RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T
LOOK LIKE MUCH HERE BEHIND ME.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE POINT.
JORDAN LAKE IS ESSENTIALLY THE
BATH TUB FOR THE REGION HERE.
ALL OF THAT WATER DUMPS INTO
IT. SO IT DOESN'T GO TO THE
SOUTH AND FLOOD THOSE
COMMUNITIES DOWN THERE. BUT
THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING THIS
RIGHT NOW. THE DAM HAS OPENED
UP AND THEY'RE RELEASING ABOUT
93,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER
SECOND. THAT WOULD FILL UP AN
OLYMPIC SIZED SWIMMING POOLS IN
JUST ABOUT 7 SECONDS. PUT ALL
OF THIS IS BY DESIGN. SAY.
CASTING A LINE OUT IS USUALLY
PEACEFUL FOR ISAAC HARRIS.
BUT TODAY.
AND THE STAKES ARE A BIT HIGHER
WHEN THE WATER GETS HIGH REALLY
HIGH. A LOT OF THE CATFISH WILL
COME UP IN HERE. THIS WILL PULL
THE, YOU KNOW, EXPAND THE
CURRENT LITTLE GOT ONE CAN ONLY
BE USED FOR I 6 CATCH OF THE
DAY. I'LL TAKE IT BECAUSE THIS
IS FAR FROM A LITTLE WATER
BEING RELEASED FROM THE JORDAN
LAKE DAM OF THE LAKE IS DOING
WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO THAT
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS,
PARK RANGER JOHN BANHAM.
THEY'RE PART OF THE TEAM
RESPONSIBLE FOR OPENING UP THE
DAM. SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS
IMPRESSIVE TO HIM. MOST OF THE
TIME. IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE
THIS. IT'S A LOT SLOWER AND
IT'S A LOT CALMER. BUT
>> IT DOES GIVE ME APPRECIATION
AS MUCH WATER AS THIS LOOKS
LIKE. FETTERMAN SAYS THE PEAK
FLOW THEY WERE SEEING IN THE
WHOLE RIVER NORTH OF JORDAN
LAKE WAS MORE THAN 5 TIMES THIS
DAM PREVENTING A SURGE LIKE
THAT ALL THE WAY DOWN RIVER.
WE'VE SAVED.
>> HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS OVER THE LIFETIME OF
THIS DAY. AND FOR DOWNSTREAM
COMMUNITIES.
>> AND AS MUCH WATER AS THIS
LOOKS LIKE THE U.S. ARMY CORPS
OF ENGINEERS SAYS THAT IT WILL
ONLY LET THE DOWN BY ABOUT A
FOOT A DAY AT THIS RATE.
SO IT WILL TAKE ALMOST 2 WEEKS
FOR THEM TO GET TO THE LEVEL
WHERE THE LAKE IS BACK AT THAT
LEVEL THAT THEY'RE USED TO.
BUT THAT'S IT. THERE'S NO OTHER
CONDITIONS WITH ALL THIS
IMPENDING WEATHER. THAT'S ON
THE WAY THEY MAY HAVE TO DRAW
BACK. SO IT MAY TAKE EVEN
LONGER BEFORE JORDAN LAKE IS
BACK TO NORMAL IN CHATHAM