Upper Savannah Reservoirs Enter First Drought Level
The Army Corps of Engineers has declared a level one drought at the three reservoirs on the Savannah River as a result of the pool elevation at Strom Thurmond Lake…
No Warning for Boating Under the Influence
The Army Corps of Engineers has declared a level one drought at the three reservoirs on the Savannah River as a result of the pool elevation at Strom Thurmond Lake dipping below 326.0 feet above mean sea level.
The drought management plan now goes into action, which conserves water in the reservoirs by reducing the outflows from the Thurmond Dam.
The pool elevations August 28 were 656.09 at Hartwell Lake, and 325.95 at Thurmond Lake. Under the level one drought plan, the Corps will limit outflow from Thurmond Dam to a daily average of 4,200 cubic feet per second.
Some swim beaches and boat launching lanes have limited water levels, but camping, boating, skiing, fishing and other forms of recreation will continue. Officials caution that as the reservoir levels decline, underwater obstructions will be closer to the surface. That means boaters and skiers should use extra caution when out on the lake.
