The group that oversees the Grand Lake wants the Federal Energy Regulatory Agency to grant it permanent relief from what’s known as a rule curve, which regulates lake levels throughout the year.
The current rule drops the lake’s elevation by three feet at the end of every summer. The Grand River Dam Authority wants that changed to one foot for the period between August 1 and September 15. It would then be lowered the remaining two feet at the end of the peak season for boaters taking watercraft out on the lake, according to The Tulsa World’s Randy Krehbiel:
Originally implemented to facilitate habitat development, the rule curve has become the bane of boaters who say it creates safety hazards during one of the busiest times of the year. Upstream property owners have generally opposed changes to the rule curve, saying it will increase the likelihood of flooding.
The agency has also asked to shorten the public comment period 60 days to 30.
From Ellis:
“(I)ssues related to the Article 401 rule curve requirements have been analyzed and addressed by the Commission, resource agencies and stakeholders many times in the past,” the GRDA’s application states. “As such, the public comment period is not expected to produce any significant new issue relevant to this application.
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