The National Drought Mitigation Center has lifted the "exceptional" drought category for Coffee, Franklin, Bedford and Warren Counties, with the region now listed in the second-worst rating of "extreme" drought.

But we're not out of the woods just yet, according to Doug Murphy, executive director of the Duck River Agency, who says Normandy Reservoir is still seven feet below where it should be this time of year.

"We're really still in a drought situation," he said. "We still need more rain and more runoff." According to Murphy, the lake is now at about 63 to 65 percent of its full capacity.

Downpours early Tuesday added 0.93 inches to the total rainfall amount at Normandy Lake. The reservoir was at an elevation of over 863 feet Wednesday, nearly a foot higher than reported Monday.

As of Wednesday, a total of 9.55 inches have fallen at Normandy Lake since the first of the year. Murphy said seven to eight more inches of rain in the region would be needed to put the level back up to where TVA's operating guide said it should be.

"We're getting the rain, the ground is wet, the grass is growing and the flowers are blooming ... but we're still seven feet from where we need to be." At this time last year, the reservoir was six feet lower than it should have been, according to TVA's operating guide.

"We're not in a crisis, but in an extreme awareness situation ... there's still a lot of activity going on how we're going to manage the reservoir and the releases for this summer."

Currently, the amount of water flowing out of Normandy Dam is at 41 cubic feet per second (cfs) which was reduced in February to conserve water. The flow rate will remain that way until May 31.

Murphy said that the flow would likely be increased this summer, but the question is "how much."

"It depends on how much water (the Duck River) gets from the tributaries and runoff downstream. If we've got plenty of runoff coming in, that's going to save water in the reservoir."

Murphy said that hopefully within the next 30 days, a draft operating plan should be ready to help TVA manage the reservoir during an extended drought period. "That's not in there now," he said. "It's just operating as it is in normal, average conditions."

The National Weather Service is still stating that the drought the region is currently enduring has about three to five years left, he said.

Murphy said recently that for every inch of rain that falls in the area, the water level at Normandy goes up a foot.

Nearly all of the runoff that drains into Normandy Lake comes from about a 200 square mile area in Coffee County, he said.

"These spring showers are great. Let them come."