Because of dry weather, Alabama Power received federal approval to temporarily boost water storage on Harris Lake on the Tallapoosa River, and has requested similar permissions from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to raise the current levels on Logan Martin Lake by an additional foot.

These variances are in addition to steps taken late last year to conserve water supplies on Alabama Power reservoirs.

Another initiative to reduce flow requirements from the Jordan Dam on the Coosa River has been in the works. This would conserve water at Weiss, Neely Henry and Logan Martin dams. The request is pending at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Dry forecasts expected to last through the winter allowed Alabama Power to reduce the releases of water from hydroelectric dams on the Coosa and Tallapoosa rivers by 10 percent to conserve water.

“We are taking additional steps now to improve the odds of raising all our storage reservoirs to full summer pool later this year,” said Matt Bowden, Alabama Power vice president of Environmental Affairs. “We are working with the FERC and the Corps of Engineers to do what we can to conserve water in the face of another developing drought in Alabama.”