CELINA-For the first time in seven years, the spillway gates were opened this week (March 5, 2018) at Dale Hollow Dam to help alleviate above-normal water levels in the lake.
Heavy rain had caused the lake to jump over 10 feet and it was well above the summer pool level of 651 feet above sea level.
Water hadn’t been spilled over the dam since the gates were opened three consecutive years in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Before that, it had been 20 years since the event happened and they had only been opened four other times—in 1989, 1984, 1975, and 1962.