Preliminary models relating lake level gate operation and discharge at Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee and Kentucky

Abstract

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88).Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Assessment of cropland inundation due to the operation of the Reelfoot Lake spillway in West Tennessee

“…High flows in RRB during the growing season were computed for the period 1991–2018 during which the present management plan was followed (Cook, 2006). Discharge for the period from 1991 to the establishment of the RRB streamgage in 2013 (site 07027002) was estimated based on Reelfoot Lake level (site 07027000), discharge characteristics of the weir, and the 1991 operating rules (Heal et al, 2022; U.S. Geological Survey, 2022d). For this period, discharge was determined from Reelfoot Lake water level based on the assumption that during the period at the beginning of the growing season when the management plan calls for the lake to be drawn down to the summer level, the stop logs were out of the water at the old spillway; this assumption was typically met during the growing season at lake levels above 86.16 m (282.6 feet), corresponding to a discharge of about 23 m 3 /s (810 ft 3 /s) (Cook, 2006; Heal et al, 2022).…”

“…The upstream 16 km of RRB flows through this old lakebed, where the lake extended south of its present location until 1917 (Library of Congress, 1896; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1999). The primary source of floodwater in RRB is discharge from the Reelfoot Lake spillway (Heal et al, 2022), which has a drainage area of about 622 km 2 (240 mi 2 ) (Robbins, 1985). RRB also receives runoff from tributaries with a total drainage area of about 230 km 2 (90 mi 2 ) (U.S. Geological Survey, 2022c).…”

“…Fish and Wildlife Service, 1989). However, the capacity of RRB is still not sufficient to accommodate the highest flows during the spring season (Heal et al, 2022) and excess water inundates cropland.…”

“…The data used in this study were collected from U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (NWIS; U.S. Geological Survey, 2022d), U.S. Geological Survey data release (Heal & Diehl, 2022), U.S. Army Corps of Engineering RiverGages (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2022), USDA CropScape (U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2020), and WTRBA database (West Tennessee River Basin Authority, unpublished data, 2018–2019). Interested readers are referred to Appendix for access to the WTRBA database.…”

“…As part of this land‐use change effort, a large portion of Reelfoot Lake and its encompassing areas were converted to croplands in the early 20th century (Delaney & Craig, 1997; Lane et al, 2006; Lewis et al, 1992; Pinter et al, 2008; Remo et al, 2018; Robbins, 1985; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1999). In 1917, a spillway was installed and RRB was created to drain the southern end of the lake and the surrounding bottomlands (Cook, 2006; Heal et al, 2022; Robbins, 1985). RRB flows approximately 26 km from the lake southward to the Obion River (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1999).…”