The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District will lower the water level at Johnson Lake after Labor Day in preparation for a maintenance outage at the Johnson No. 2 (J-2) Hydroplant.

The lake’s water level will begin dropping on Sept. 5 and will be down by about three feet by Sept. 8. After reaching its low point, the lake will then begin rising on Sept. 10 and will be back to normal seasonal levels by Sept. 14.

The lake should remain at seasonal levels for the autumn months until it is drawn down to normal winter operating levels.

Central advises that the drawdown will provide an opportunity for cabin-owners with the necessary permits to perform shoreline maintenance activities and/or work on docks and boatlifts.

Johnson Lake is the regulating reservoir for two hydroplants on the Supply Canal below the lake. During outages for maintenance or repair projects at the hydroplants, the lake is lowered to create space for water that enters the lake while releases through the hydroplants are suspended.