The Tennessee Valley Authority River Forecast Center has stepped up their normal generation schedule and is allowing Douglas Dam to spill until further notice. A River Forecast Center Representative stated Monday evening that the continual spillage was an effort to pull lake levels down to winter levels. Currently, Douglas is only 5 to 6 ft below summer levels and is around 23 ft higher than usual at this time of the year. The River Forecast Center assesses the lake levels in the morning and evening during normal weather patterns, however when models show high flow events the evaluation time doubles. It is staffed 24 hours per day and closely monitors TVA’s main stem and tributaries. Dams all along the main stem are spilling and some of the tributaries, like Douglas Dam, are also spilling in an effort to deal with the excessive precipitation that has hit the area this winter. Spilling is a regular event to generate energy, however it is usually confined to high demand hours of early mornings and evenings. TVA River Forecast Center anticipates spilling through the upcoming weekend in preparation of another round of precipitation early next week, when the area is expected to receive a couple of inches of rain. Douglas Lake will begin rising to summer levels in mid March and should reach full summer pool by mid May.