Entergy Arkansas Inc. issued a high-water notification under its Emergency Action Plan on Saturday after heavy rainfall led to high-flow releases from Remmel Dam into the Ouachita River.
By Saturday afternoon, the levels of lakes Hamilton and Catherine had risen a foot above their target drawdown levels, to 395.51 feet above mean sea level on Hamilton and 300.37 feet msl on Catherine.
Remmel Dam was releasing about 41,000 cubic feet per second of water into the Ouachita River below Lake Catherine by Saturday afternoon, while Carpenter Dam, which forms Lake Hamilton above Catherine, was releasing a little more than 31,000 cfs.
Because of the releases from Remmel, the National Weather Service issued a flood warning at around 10:30 a.m. Saturday for central Hot Spring County, effective until 4:15 p.m.
"High water is expected to continue along the Ouachita River in Hot Spring County due to releases from Remmel Dam. Impacts are expected to reach the Friendship area in about four to six hours. Livestock and property should be moved out of the floodplain. Flooded roadways should be avoided," the warning said.
Locations in that warning included areas along the Ouachita River near Oak Grove, Midway, Friendship, and Jones Mill.
By 5:16 p.m., Entergy posted a message on its Facebook page saying that both lake levels had "finally turned downward. We will continue the flows from both Carpenter and Remmel dams until we get back to our normal levels," and then will start closing some of the dams' spillway gates.
The utility's license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires the Emergency Action Plan. The high-water notification is set up with local emergency management departments and the FERC and initiated when the flow from Remmel Dam reaches a predetermined level.
"We expect the flow releases to continue at about this rate as the lake levels have stabilized," David Batson of Entergy Hydro Operations said on the utility's Facebook page Saturday morning.
Both lakes rose several inches overnight but had remained within the wintertime drawdown operating range, Batson said. Lake Catherine was at 299.85 feet above mean sea level Saturday morning, while Lake Hamilton was at 394.82 feet msl.
Later in the day, Entergy said the creeks were still rising from overnight flash flooding, but once they dropped it would be able to allow the lakes to fall back to the normal drawdown levels to prepare for the next round of moisture. More rain is in the forecast for today.
Saturday's heavy rains also caused roadway flooding throughout Garland County, with water across the roadways in some areas.
The driver of one vehicle had to be rescued Saturday afternoon after she hydroplaned on the roadway and her car went into a rain-swollen creek in the 3000 block of Amity Road, at the intersection of Malibu Trail, Sgt. Bill House of the Garland County Sheriff's Department told The Sentinel-Record.
She was able to escape the vehicle with help from passers-by and a local wrecker service. She was transported by LifeNet to a local hospital for minor injuries.
Entergy also reported on social media that several docks had floated loose on Lake Hamilton. Two of the docks that floated loose were hitting other docks. The third dock was floating in the Big Mazarn basin area, and Entergy said it may have come from the Lake Forest Shores area.
Local on 11/29/2015