(WVLT) -- Lake levels were the talk of the summer last year, because they were much lower than normal, and 2007 was the driest year in 118 years. This year, things are better, but East Tennessee’s lake levels are still lower than the folks at TVA normally expect them to be.

TVA officials say that they're operating at minimum flows and are holding on to as much water as they can.

Lake levels are not quite where TVA officials would like for them to be, but it's not slowing down lake lovers.

Gil Francis is a spokesman for TVA and says, "So folks are out there. And, yes, they're down. The lakes are down a little or certainly below where we'd like for them to be. But folks are still out there."

Steve Schumaker is a regular on Norris Lake and says, "We were here last year when it got real low toward the end of the year. It looked different, but other than the amount of use we'd have on the lake it didn't affect us at all."

Heading into the Fourth of July Holiday, Norris is down six-feet, Fontana and Cherokee are down five-feet each, and Douglas is six-feet lower than where TVA would like for it to be. Watauga is off 10-feet and South Holston 15-feet.

TVA policeman Randy Roddy says, "The thing about it is, a lot of people don't think about the water level being lower."

But Roddy says for safety's sake, they should.

Roddy says, "And they won't slow down and they may not be as conscious of the low levels as they should be, because sometimes alcohol is involved."

Roddy adds that there are some points on Norris where rocks are just below the surface.

Matthew Zorvan spends lots of time on the lake and says, "It's lower, but not dangerous yet. When it gets real low, you have your islands popping up, and that's when you have your problems."

Even though the average depth on Norris Lake is 75-feet, Roddy says, "We've got quite a bit of water, but you still have some points where you have to stay out away from the shoreline when the water's down."

Officer Roddy says that even if the lake was full, you still need to operate your craft with the knowledge of where you are, what's below the surface, and with the an awareness of your surroundings and other boaters.