Orange County NC Website
installed to control and measure the actual flow from Lake Orange so the operators can <br /> know what is happening with their actions and not guess what will happen. Careful <br /> management of precious water resources requires understanding and control. This <br /> equipment is required to get that control. <br /> 2. Recent activities to define and validate the Upper Eno portion of the Neuse River <br /> Basin Computer Model have shown that the Model's ability to replicate the WFER's <br /> actual results for the period of 2002 to 2007 is extremely good. This result is directly <br /> related to the fact that the actual discharge data for the WFER has been measured. The <br /> fact that the detailed discharge data is provided to the Model permits excellent results. <br /> Thus the Model is validated for the WFER as a specific reservoir within the Upper Eno <br /> region. <br /> In contrast to the Model's good results for the WFER, early attempts to develop and <br /> calibrate the Model for Lake Orange have yielded poor results. Although work is <br /> underway to estimate and "back calculate" the withdrawal amounts for Lake Orange, <br /> the ability of the Model to replicate actual results can be significantly enhanced if the <br /> actual discharge data were available for Lake Orange and used in the Model directly. <br /> The needed measurement equipment will allow collection of that critical data. The Model <br /> must be validated for Lake Orange to allow its use in consideration of the overall <br /> performance of the Upper Eno. It is noted that Mr. Tom Fransen, Water Allocation Section <br /> Chief of the NC DWR, stated on 11/12/08 that the Model is to be an important and required <br /> tool for municipalities and other significant users of water in the Neuse River Basin. <br /> If the required equipment can be installed before June of 2009, we will have an <br /> opportunity to get updated data into the Model during the operating phase of the <br /> Consultants, who have been contracted for the Model development and validation, <br /> AND likely get much more accurate results. Until that time, we will have to estimate the <br /> performance of Lake Orange via refinement of the Model to attempt to obtain an <br /> acceptable validation. Actual data for the summer/fall timeframe is important because the <br /> Model cannot be calibrated during times of highest lake capacity or spilling as often is <br /> observed during the springtime; high temperatures coupled with low rainfall and highest <br /> water demand will more likely result in large drawdown of the lake level which is important <br /> to observe the model's prediction versus the actual lake level — and thus permit Calibration <br /> of the Model. <br /> Ken Terlep for <br /> Friends of Lake Orange <br /> 919-732-9744 <br /> Laura Blackmon said that the funds for this would not be available until July 2009. <br /> Chloe Riley is also a resident of Lake Orange. She said that last year they watched <br /> Lake Orange reduced from 150 acres to 50 acres. The residents had concerns and in the <br /> spring the rains came and the lake filled up. However, in June, the lake was reduced by 8-10 <br /> inches in several days. She said that this is when many citizens started researching this. In <br /> doing the research they found that, because the equipment on the lake is outdated, water is <br /> being wasted. She asked the County to fund the proposed equipment to regulate the water <br /> flow. <br />