Daily lake levels can be found at: https://www.lrl-wc.usace.army.mil/reports/lkreport.html

Historical reports noting pool of record elevations can be found on our website under the header “Reservoir Forecasts” at: https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/Rivers-and-Reservoirs/.

USACE makes day to day decisions about releasing water through its dams according to Water Control Manuals —or operating manuals for USACE dams. The objective of all WCMs include operating the dam and reservoir for the purposes authorized by Congress and other applicable law, maintaining the structural integrity and operation integrity of the dam and avoiding risk to public health and safety, life and property. Our Water Control Manual specifies the maximum amount of water we can release and not damage anything when downstream conditions are conducive to high releases. The process for updating a Water Control Manual would involve congressional approval, a feasibility study, public input and subsequent analysis, to conclude whether changes may be warranted. The Water Control Manuals are reviewed periodically for effectiveness.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Management team is constantly forecasting and making necessary adjustments prior to rainfall events. When downstream conditions allow, we work to restore flood storage capacity as quickly as possible, prior to impending rainfall events.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages water releases based on our Water Control Manual. Our Flood Risk Management Dams are designed to reduce flood damages by storing water caused by heavy rains until the rivers and streams are at levels that releases from the reservoirs will not cause additional flooding downstream.

The Louisville District manages a total of 17 Flood Risk Management Reservoirs (FRM), including eight reservoirs in Kentucky, five reservoirs in Indiana, and four in Ohio, which play a critical role in reducing flood impacts for downstream communities. These reservoirs are part of a broader system managed by USACE, designed to temporarily store excess water from heavy rainfalls until river and stream levels recede, preventing further downstream flooding.

The public may submit questions/comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Louisville District Public Affairs Office at: lrl-pao@usace.army.mil or contact us at (502) 315-6766.