Local News
Raleigh Is Hoping Corps Will Cut Falls Lake Flow in Half
Raleigh leaders expect to hear today on their request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to halve the amount of water that flows out of Falls Lake into the Neuse River for users downstream.
Posted — UpdatedRALEIGH, N.C. — Each day, millions of gallons of water flow past Falls Lake’s dam to users living downstream along the Neuse River.
Raleigh leaders are asking the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to cut that amount in half, to about 17 million gallons a day.
The Corps has been reviewing the request for the past two weeks, and local officials were expecting an answer Friday.
“We are confident the Corps and our congressional delegation will help us look at those issues,” said Raleigh City Manager Russell Allen.
It would not be the first time the Corps has cut the flow to help keep Raleigh from drying out.
Last week, the Corps agreed to reduce the amount of water coming out of the lake by 3 million gallons per day.
Raleigh leaders are also asking residents to release less water in their own homes. The City Council voted to ask all homeowners and business owners to install low-flow devices by this Saturday.
The devices fit on sink faucets and showers to minimize the amount of water people use.
The change can make a difference, officials say. The Wake County public schools used 229 million gallons of water last year. They estimate that low-flow devices will save 3 percent of that this year.
The city's concern with relying on low-flow devices to reduce demand is that there is no way to mandate it. The council can only ask residents to comply.
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