The same river that washed away the rafting community in Hartford during Hurricane Helene, is the same river that is facing a dry summer.
(HARTFORD, Tenn.) SMOKIES.LIVE – The Pigeon River Rafting community met with Duke Energy to discuss what the drought could mean for the season ahead. A harsh reality of limited water releases from the dam that isn’t usually discussed until late summer.
The Hartford rafting community gathered to kick-off the rafting season meeting with state representatives, county emergency leaders and the one entity that delivers the water down the Pigeon River, Duke Energy. The energy company said the ongoing drought could lead to limited water releases this summer to keep the lake upstream operational.
“Say the least the last thing we wanted,” said Daniel Jennette with the rafting community. “What we have going for us is the power plant does runoff what they call a model. We call it a computer and in years past that model/computer has gotten us through a drought season before.”
The rafting community hopes to not have a repeat of 2006 when drought contingency plans started in July, the heart of rafting season.
“This season Thursdays go first and then Tuesday go, and then Saturday is the last day that we have,” Jennette added. “That is another example of Duke working with us because at one point it was Tuesday was the last day that we had. But we found that Saturdays were busier and so we shifted it all over to that.”
Lynne Dunn with Duke Energy is responsible for managing recreation waters. She told the rafting owners how this season would work.
We get down to 80 feet then where we normally have for recreation release during the week Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday those releases would be cut down to Tuesdays and Saturdays,” said Dunn.
If the drought continues, once waters on Walters Lake reaches 74 feet all water releases on the Pigeon River will stop.
“If we can work together and try to conserve water we will have a longer season. So, if the recreation community can come up with a plan to possibly save water, then we want to work with them to ensure that we can save water to make the recreation season last longer,” she added.
For the rafting community they’re hopeful for a lot of rain and a successful season on America’s most rafted river.
“Unless we have some rain we’re going to start getting into the contingency plan and it could be earlier than ever, and of course that wrapping season runs right into fall we provided we had the water flowing down the river,” added Jennette.
Jennette and his family have owned and operated rafting company has been setting the bar high for white water rafting service, safety, and fun since 1993. He remembers times of floods and droughts. He said in the long run it is better to save water on a Tuesday for Saturdays when they are the busiest.
Water releases are scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday during the summer.
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