MORGANTOWN – Sen. Shelley Moore Capito has joined the chorus of voices opposing Lake Lynn Generation’s proposal to lower the level of Cheat Lake by 3 feet.
Capito wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday.
She said, “I have heard concerns from businesses surrounding Cheat Lake that the lowering of the water level during the peak boating season will have a negative impact on the local community. Recreational activity on Cheat Lake serves as an economic driver for Monongalia County during the summer and early fall, and it is crucial for these businesses that the boating season is not cut short.”
She urged FERC to consider the economic impact on the local communities that rely on seasonal recreation.
Lake Lynn Generation submitted its request to FERC on July 16, saying its hydroelectric project tailrace and reservoir dissolved oxygen levels have been decreasing due to a lack of precipitation and low reservoir inflows. Lowering the minimum level from 868 feet to no less than 865 feet would increase spillway discharge to address the low dissolved oxygen levels.
Low levels affect the ability of aquatic organisms such as fish and other underwater creatures to breathe, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
To accommodate boaters, Lake Lynn told FERC, it would open the winter boat launch at Cheat Lake Park, which allows access during lower lake levels. This would be a temporary variance, effective through Nov. 1.
Lake Lynn reminded FERC that low oxygen levels have occurred because of low inflow during the months of July through October at the project in past years. It requested and was granted similar temporary variances in September of 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Email: dbeard@dominionpost.com
