[txhurl]

Can they drop the lake 30% of capacity before the rains begin?

[alancarp]

Can they drop the lake 30% of capacity before the rains begin?

Not likely - in fact, that's what they've been trying (too slow in reacting, obviously) to do, which has led to the current crisis. There's just too much water to move and the spillways can't handle it.

[steve86]

I believe that the main spillway can drop the lake elevation approximately 4’ a day given normal inflows to the reservoir. That’s only a tiny fraction of lake volume.