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ORANGE COUNTY 01 E' <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. GLI <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: SEPTEMBER 16, 1986 <br /> SUBJECT: WATER SUPPLY STATUS <br /> DEPARTMENT: COUNTY MANAGER PUBLIC HEARING: Yes X No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT: MANAGER'S <br /> OFFICE,X501 <br /> ORDINANCE TELEPHONE NUMBER: <br /> Hillsborough - 732-8181 <br /> Chapel Hill - 968-4501 <br /> Mebane - 227-2031 <br /> Durham - 688-7331 <br /> PURPOSE: To update the Board on current conditions and what actions may <br /> be deemed advisable to refine the ordinance. <br /> NEED: The water situation has slowly improved due to an unusual <br /> amount of rainfall during late August. Lake Orange has risen <br /> from the 38 inch low reached as of August 19, 1986. It is now <br /> at 27 1/2 inches below full--up 10 1/2 inches. This amounts <br /> to restoration of a little less than half of the storage <br /> volume lost due to releases necessary to supply downstream <br /> needs earlier in the season. Corporation Lake is full with <br /> some spillage from flow in the West Fork of the Eno. Lake Ben <br /> Johnston is 25 1/2 inches below full. Instream flow is <br /> 585, 000 gallons per day as of September 12, 1986. <br /> Conservation should continue since we are by no means back to <br /> normal conditions. There is, nonetheless, an opportunity for <br /> a window of relief from mandatory restrictions. Commissioner <br /> Lloyd had suggested that this relief be accomplished by <br /> revising the ordinance to cause the condition of the <br /> downstream reservoirs to be taken into account in deciding on <br /> drought management stages. Another approach would be to alter <br /> the start of conservation measures from 90% to 80%. Discus- <br /> sions with John Wray (Division of Water Resources) since the <br /> last meeting reveal advantages and disadvantages to either <br /> approach. Spillage at the lower reservoirs has the appearance <br /> of some improvement and gives cause for the public to feel <br /> that conditions have eased. However, the disadvantages is <br /> that such surplus may not signal an area-wide improvement <br /> change in drought conditions, as in the case this Fall. The <br /> lower reservoirs are small in size, subject to variable river <br /> flow, and subject to having to be manually operated to func- <br /> tion below full in order to capture intermittent rainfall. <br /> Any relief from taking these conditions into account could be <br /> temporary and cause conservation measures to be on and off. <br />