ROANOKE, Va., October 19, 2004 – Appalachian Power will temporarily lower the water level at Claytor Lake in early November to provide the public and shoreline residents an opportunity for shoreline cleanup and maintenance.
 
Annually the Friends of Claytor Lake (FOCL) and Pulaski County ask AEP to lower Claytor Lake’s water level to accommodate a shoreline cleanup and allow maintenance on property that is normally submerged.
 
“Hurricane related weather resulted in a large amount of debris on the lake, so we’re asking boaters to be particularly cautious,” said Teresa Rogers, Appalachian Power reservoir superintendent.   “We do advise that people using the lake during these low-water conditions exercise caution because the lower water level may bring submerged items near the surface.”
 
Appalachian will begin to lower the lake level November 1, to reduce the level of the lake by five feet below full pond by November 6.  Appalachian will begin to refill the reservoir to full pond elevation on November 21. The drawdown is subject to cancellation due to high inflows or cold temperatures.
 
“Residents, homeowner associations and others are encouraged to organize cleanup activities during the low water period,” said Ron Powers, FOCL president. “Individual efforts like those we see at the annual cleanup help ensure the water quality and quality of life at Claytor Lake remains high.”
 
Anyone planning to conduct filling or excavating activities should contact the Corps of Engineers at (540) 382-6740 and determine if a Corps permit is necessary.
 
  Appalachian coordinates minimum downstream releases and lake elevations with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Appalachian Power built Claytor Dam and began operating the facility in 1939. The Pulaski County reservoir is 21 miles long and has 101 miles of shoreline. The normal operating level is 1,846 feet above sea level and the lake holds 232,000 acre-feet of water, which is about 75 billion gallons. The powerhouse at the lake has four generating units with a capacity of 75,000 kilowatts.
 
Appalachian Power provides electricity to 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. It is a unit of American Electric Power.  AEP owns more than 36,00 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States and is the nation´s largest electricity generator. AEP is also one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, with more than 5 million customers linked to AEP´s 11-state electricity transmission and distribution grid.