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ACT DROUGHT & WATER DASHBOARD

Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin Drought & Water Dashboard

Explore timely and reliable information on past, present, and future drought conditions to increase drought early warning capacity and support decision making across the ACT Basin.

11.76%

of USGS streamgages in the ACT Basin have below-normal 28-day average streamflow

0

counties in the ACT Basin are designated in drought by the USDA

Change of
0
since last week
Change of
0
since last month
49th

driest February on record, over the past 129 years

Decrease of
0.17
inches from normal
since last month
36th

wettest year to date over the past 129 years (January-February 2023)

Increase of
0.88
since last week

The U.S. Drought Monitor map is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country. The map uses five classifications: abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3), and exceptional (D4).

This map is used by USDA to trigger disaster declarations and loan eligibility. Individual states and water supply planning may utilize additional information to inform their declarations and actions.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is a joint effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA.

Learn More

This map shows the percent of normal precipitation for the past 15 days, compared to the usual conditions for the same time period averaged from 1991–2020.

This map uses the gridMET and NLDAS precipitation datasets, and precipitation data are updated daily, with a delay of 3 to 4 days.

Learn more.

 

The Lawn and Garden Moisture Index measures the capacity of current soil moisture to sustain healthy lawns and gardens.

The index is computed in two stages. The first involves how much recent precipitation (over the past 21 days) contributes to current soil moisture. The second involves finding how much the total effective rainfall for the current day differs from a “standard” amount of rainfall considered to be adequate for that time of year to sustain healthy lawns and gardens.

Positive values of the index indicate adequate precipitation or better, while negative values indicate a precipitation deficit.

Learn More

D0 - Abnormally Dry
  • Short-term dryness slowing planting, growth of crops or pastures.
  • Some lingering water deficits
  • Pastures or crops not fully recovered
14.5
of ACT Basin
(D0–D4)
D1 - Moderate Drought
  • Some damage to crops, pastures
  • Streams, reservoirs, or wells low, some water shortages developing or imminent
  • Voluntary water-use restrictions requested
0.0
of ACT Basin
(D1–D4)
D2 - Severe Drought
  • Crop or pasture loss likely
  • Water shortages common
  • Water restrictions imposed
0.0
of ACT Basin
(D2–D4)
D3 - Extreme Drought
  • Major crop/pasture losses
  • Widespread water shortages or restrictions
0
of ACT Basin
(D3–D4)
D4 - Exceptional Drought
  • Exceptional and widespread crop/pasture losses
  • Shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells creating water emergencies
0
of ACT Basin
(D4)
Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)
Range Map Hex Color
0% - 25% #8c510a
25% - 50% #bf812d
50% - 75% #dfc27d
75% - 100% #f6e8c3
Range Map Hex Color
100% - 150% #c7eae5
150% - 200% #80cdc1
200% - 300% #35978f
300% - #01665e
Lawn & Garden Moisture Index: Precipitation Deficit
Range Map Hex Color
-2 - -1.5 #cc0000
-1.5 - -1.0 #ff6600
-1.0 - -0.5 #ffa200
-0.5 - 0 #ebeb50
Lawn & Garden Moisture Index: Adequate or Surplus Precipitation
Range Map Hex Color
0 - 0.5 #8ce48c
0.5 - 1,5 #00c800
1,5 - 2.0 #00af00
2.0 - #009600

Streamflow and Reservoir Conditions

The map depicts real-time streamflow conditions compared to historical streamflow conditions for the day of the year, updated daily. U.S. Geological Survey stream gages are displayed& alongside current drought conditions from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Click on a streamgage to view more data for that location. Learn more.

The map depicts 28-day average streamflow conditions as computed at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages. The colors represent 28-day average streamflow compared to percentiles of historical 28-day average streamflow for the day of the year. Click on a streamgage to view more data for that location. Learn more.

Current and forecasted lake levels for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) projects in the ACT and ACF River Basins. Where applicable, lakes are color-coded based on USACE lake action zones*, which provide guidance on meeting minimum hydropower needs at each project and determine the amount of storage available for navigation, water supply, and water quality. Click on any of the lakes to view the current lake level and (where available) the 1-week forecast (measured in ft MSL, feet above mean sea level).

View More Lake Level Forecasts

* Forecasts are not available for R.F. Henry and William Dannelly. For Lake Seminole (Jim Woodruff Dam), which has no action zones, green = below maximum operating level, and blue = above maximum operating level. Navigation restrictions in the action zones below do not apply to Allatoona and Carters, as navigation is only directly supported for reservoirs in the ACF Basin.

The ACT River Basin contains sixteen reservoir projects—five managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and eleven managed by the Alabama Power Power Company (APC). This map shows the eleven APC-managed projects within the ACT River Basin—seven on the Coosa River and four on the Tallapoosa River—as well as three nearby projects on the Black Warrior River.

Click on any blue circle to visit the APC web page for that lake, where you can find current lake levels, forecasts, operating schedules, and more.

Learn more.

Streamflow Conditions
Value Map Hex Color
Low #ff0000
Much Below Normal #b12121
Below Normal #ffa400
Normal #00ff00
Above Normal #40dfd0
Much Above Normal #0000ff
High #000000
Not Ranked #FFFFFF
U.S. Drought Monitor
Value Map Hex Color
D0 #ffff00
D1 #ffcc99
D2 #ff6600
D3 #ff0000
D4 #660000
Streamflow Conditions
Value Map Hex Color
Low #ff0000
Much Below Normal #b12121
Below Normal #ffa400
Normal #00ff00
Above Normal #40dfd0
Much Above Normal #0000ff
High #000000
Not Ranked #FFFFFF
U.S. Drought Monitor
Value Map Hex Color
D0 #ffff00
D1 #ffcc99
D2 #ff6600
D3 #ff0000
D4 #660000
USACE Lake Action Zones
Value Map Hex Color
Flood Storage: Storage is above Zone 1 #0000ff
Zone 1: Normal operations #55ff00
Zone 2: Limited navigation (ACF); reduced hydropower #ffff00
Zone 3: Significantly limited navigation (ACF); reduced hydropower #ffaa00
Zone 4: Navigation not supported (ACF); very limited hydropower #ff0000
Project Does Not Have Action Zones #000000
Alabama Power Company Lakes & Dams
Value Map Hex Color
Lakes #000000

U.S. Drought Outlooks

Value Map Hex Color
Drought persists #9B634A
Drought remains but improves #DED2BC
Drought removal likely #B2AD69
Drought development likely #FFDE63
No drought predicted #FFFFFF

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's Monthly Drought Outlook is issued at the end of each calendar month and is valid for the upcoming month.

The Outlook predicts whether drought will persist, develop, improve, or be removed over the next month. Learn more.

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's Seasonal Drought Outlook is issued on the third Thursday of each month.

The Outlook predicts whether drought will persist, develop, improve, or be removed over the next three months or so. Learn more.

Quantitative Precipitation Forecast

Predicted Inches of Precipitation
Range Map Hex Color
0 - 0.01 #ffffff
0.01 - 0.1 #7fff00
0.1 - 0.25 #00cd00
0.25 - 0.5 #008b00
0.5 - 0.75 #104e8b
0.75 - 1 #1e90ff
1 - 1.25 #00b2ee
1.25 - 1.5 #00eeee
1.5 - 1.75 #8968cd
Range Map Hex Color
1.75 - 2 #912cee
2 - 2.5 #8b008b
2.5 - 3 #8b0000
3 - 4 #cd0000
4 - 5 #ee4000
5 - 7 #ff7f00
7 - 10 #cd8500
10 - 15 #ffd700
15 - 20 #ffff00
20 - #ffaeb9
Predicted Inches of Precipitation
Range Map Hex Color
0 - 0.01 #ffffff
0.01 - 0.1 #7fff00
0.1 - 0.25 #00cd00
0.25 - 0.5 #008b00
0.5 - 0.75 #104e8b
0.75 - 1 #1e90ff
1 - 1.25 #00b2ee
1.25 - 1.5 #00eeee
1.5 - 1.75 #8968cd
Range Map Hex Color
1.75 - 2 #912cee
2 - 2.5 #8b008b
2.5 - 3 #8b0000
3 - 4 #cd0000
4 - 5 #ee4000
5 - 7 #ff7f00
7 - 10 #cd8500
10 - 15 #ffd700
15 - 20 #ffff00
20 - #ffaeb9

The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center produces Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts that depict the amount of liquid precipitation expected to fall in a defined period of time. These forecasts are defined as the expected “areal average” (on a 20 x 20 km grid) in inches. This map shows forecast precipitation over the next 24 hours. Learn more.

The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center produces Quantitative Precipitation Forecasts that depict the amount of liquid precipitation expected to fall in a defined period of time. These forecasts are defined as the expected “areal average” (on a 20 x 20 km grid) in inches. This map shows forecast precipitation over the next 7 days. Learn more.

Historical Drought Conditions and Impacts: ACT River Basin

The U.S. Drought Monitor map is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country. The map uses five classifications: abnormally dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought: moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3), and exceptional (D4). This map is used by USDA to trigger disaster declarations and loan eligibility. Individual states and water supply planning may utilize additional information to inform their declarations and actions. The U.S. Drought Monitor is a joint effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center, USDA, and NOAA. Learn more.

Time Period (Years): to

Drought Response in the ACT River Basin

The ACT River Basin contains sixteen reservoir projects. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Mobile District operates five federally owned reservoirs, while the Alabama Power Company (APC) owns and operates the remaining eleven dams—seven on the Coosa River and four on the Tallapoosa River. 

In times of drought, the USACE and APC work together to enact conservation measures across the basin’s reservoirs, following the Alabama Drought Response Operation Plan (ADROP). This plan defines three “drought intensity levels” for the basin, which activate certain drought management actions.

Drought Level 1 occurs when one of the below conditions are met:

  1. Low basin inflow
  2. Low state line flow
  3. Low composite conservation storage in APC reservoirs.

Drought Levels 2 and 3—which indicate more severe drought conditions and bring additional drought management actions—occur when two or three of the above conditions are met, respectively.

Bridge over the Coosa River