ESCAMBIA COUNTY, AL FOLKS: You may heard rumors over the years that “the opening of the Gantt Dam” will contribute to the flooding of Brewton, Alabama. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Gantt Dam and Point A Dam in Covington County are owned and operated by PowerSouth. These dams are located on the Conecuh River. While it is true that Murder Creek and Burnt Corn Creek drain into the Conecuh River south of Brewton, ANY controlled releases at the upstream dams DO NOT contribute in any meaningful way to the water levels of the two creeks that run through the Brewton area.
PowerSouth is required by law to maintain water levels in Gantt Lake and Point A Lake. Controlled releases, in times of high water, adequately and safely do this. These water releases can cause flooding in portions of Covington, extreme southeast Conecuh, and far eastern Escambia counties right along the banks and surrounding areas of the Conecuh River. The controlled releases DO NOT affect water levels of Murder Creek and Burnt Corn Creek, however, that are totally separate drainage basins than the upstream Conecuh basin.
Water from Murder Creek and Burnt Corn Creek also does not “back up” into Brewton when controlled releases are happening. That isn’t the way it works.
Water levels of Burnt Corn Creek and Murder Creek are now DROPPING as of 11:30PM Sunday night. The official forecast from the National Weather Service shows both creek levels continuing to drop, gradually, over the next few days.
The water levels of the Conecuh River in Escambia County will continue to rise, slowly, over the next few days until a projected crest of 27 feet happens around Wednesday. Minor flood stage is 27 feet in the reporting station of the Conecuh River at Riverview. Minor flooding will continue to be possible along the Conecuh River basin through this week and potentially into the upcoming weekend.
When you see a person snapping a photo of the gushing water tomorrow morning at Gantt, rest assured this is part of the normal process and is NOT cause for panic, alarm, or concern.
