River Flows for Hydro Plants
You may track, on an hourly basis, water levels and flows of the recreational rivers and lakes near AEP's hydroelectric facilities. See a map of our plant locations.
Explanation of terms
- The "Forebay" and "Tailwater" numbers show the feet above sea level of the water levels immediately upstream and downstream from our plants.
- "Tailwater Flow" is the hourly average of the river flow just downstream of the plants, measured in cubic feet per second.
Updated 02-FEB-2023 16:50 EDT
New River Flows & Forecasts
Water release information for AEP's Claytor, Buck, and Byllesby hydro dams is updated every fifteen minutes. PLEASE NOTE: Forecast information is estimated. Water travel times may be affected by water conditions, precipitation in the watershed and other factors
Most Recent Conditions
| Project | Normal Full Pond | Forbay Actual (Feet) | Tail Water (Feet) | Tail Water (CFS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buck | 2003.40 | 2003.01 | 1961.66 | 2628 |
| Byllesby | 2079.20 | 2078.92 | 2023.58 | 2305 |
| Claytor | 1846.00 | 1845.71 | 1731.56 | 3621 |
See plant-specific notices below.
New River - Downstream Forecasts
Forecast information shows water release information from the Claytor dam, delayed to account for the average time it takes the released water to reach particular points downstream. Water travel times may be affected by water conditions, precipitation in the watershed and other factors.
Kanawha River
| Project | Normal Full Pond | Forbay Actual (Feet) | Tail Water (Feet) | Tail Water (CFS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 614.00 | 614.15 | 592.59 | 5075 |
| Marmet | 590.00 | 589.88 | 570.06 | 3519 |
| Winfield | 566.00 | 566.18 | 542.87 | 11339 |
See plant-specific notices below.
Roanoke River
| Project | Normal Full Pond | Forbay Actual (Feet) | Tail Water (Feet) | Tail Water (CFS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leesville | 613.00.00 | 604.80 | 532.17 | 2166 |
| Niagara | 885.00 | 885.14 | ||
| Smith Mountain | 795.00 | 794.74 | 604.53 |
See plant-specific notices below.
Saint Joseph River
| Project | Normal Full Pond | Forbay Actual (Feet) | Tail Water (Feet) | Tail Water (CFS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berrien Springs | 623.50 | 623.50 | 598.53 | 3047 |
| Buchanan | summer: 637.50 winter: 637.00 |
637.31 | 624.61 | 2202 |
| Constantine | 782.90 | 782.80 | 771.26 | |
| Elkhart | 741.50 winter: 739.50 |
739.53 | 721.74 | |
| Mottville | summer: 770.40 winter: 770.00 |
770.40 | 758.67 | 1198 |
| Twin Branch | 717.10 | 716.97 | 695.85 | 2027 |
See plant-specific notices below.
Plant-Specific Notices
AS OF 05:00 THIS MORNING THURSDAY FEBRUARY 02, 2023, INFLOW TO THE SMITH MOUNTAIN PROJECT WAS 1826 CFS AND THE DISCHARGE FROM LEESVILLE 2181 CFS. THE ADJUSTED RESERVOIR ELEVATION WAS 795.33'. THE FLOW RATE AT THE USGS GAUGE AT BROOKNEAL WAS 2730 CFS, STAGE 6.6' AND AT ALTAVISTA 2390 CFS, STAGE 3.76'.
2/2/2023 - Appalachian Power wants recreational users downstream of Claytor and Leesville dams to know water levels on the New and Roanoke rivers could rise rapidly starting Friday, Feb. 3, and continue to fluctuate throughout the weekend.�