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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warn about large amounts of water moving downstream at Whitney Dam

Posted at 12:26 PM, Jul 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-20 22:19:35-04

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is warning lake goers to practice extreme caution and safety due to the extreme heat. 

The Whitney Powerhouse will be producing more power due to increasing temperatures, which will cause large amounts of water moving downstream at the Whitney Dam. 

"There's a need for more power generation to support the power grid," Tennille Hammonds, Community Resource Coordinator for Whitney Lake area, said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said that when this happens, there is little to no time to retreat to higher ground. Those at the lake should listen for warning signs, such as a warning horn. 

"When the horn goes off the rise in water is going to be immediate," Hammonds said.

The Powerhouse has two turbines that each release 3,000 cubic feet of water per second. 

"A cubic foot is the approximate size of a basketball," Hammonds said. "So if you could imagine 6,000 basketballs coming your way every second, that gives you some idea of how much water is coming out."

Visitors are encouraged to wear a life jacket, follow warning signs and be aware of their surroundings. 

"We see a lot of people that like to launch boats, kayaks, canoes and fish along the banks of the Brazos as well. We just want people to know that this area is going to remain open but to use extra caution in the area." 

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