PowerSouth Energy Cooperative initiated its high water notification action plan Sunday night as the tailwater below Point A dam exceeded 25 feet.

The tailwater is the hourly average of the river flow just downstream of the hydro plants, measured in cubic feet per second.

When water began to rise, PowerSouth opened its flood gates to start a controlled release of lake water at its Gantt and Point A dams, which are subject to government-mandated water levels.

Monday morning, the tailwater reading at Gantt was 7.89 feet and was 28.06 feet at Point A.

PowerSouth Communi-cation Manager Mark Ingram said PowerSouth had 20 feet of gate open at the Gantt Hydro and 44 feet of gate open at the Point A Hydro. By 8 p.m. Monday, the gates had been dropped back one foot at Gantt.

Ingram said the both Gantt and Point A lakes are within the normal pool.

“We don’t see flooding much until we get to more than 40 feet near River Falls,” Ingram said.

At Rivers Falls, Monday at 1:45 p.m. the water level measured 32.57 feet and flood stage is 37 feet.

“It looks as though it has crest and it looks to start going down through the night and by Wednesday it is forecasted to be about 20.4 feet,” Ingram said.

“Residents around the lakes are reminded that lake elevations are always subject to change, depending on conditions. We urge residents and property owners to stay abreast of the weather situation and take necessary safety precautions.”

Ingram said this would be an appropriate time for residents who live near the water to take a look at the boating equipment to make sure it is out of the water enough not to cause any damage

Ingram said low-lying areas should be avoided, and residents should also avoid downed power lines and contact their local electric provider if there is a power outage.

Real-time information about the Conecuh River at Point A Dam is available on PowerSouth’s Web site (www.powersouth.com), in the “Newsroom” section.