To help protect surrounding communities, the Corps of Engineers plans to maintain lake level restrictions at Hartwell Lake until a long-term engineering solution is designed and built to resolve flood risks associated with at Clemson Lower Diversion Dam Saddle Dike.
Officials say there is no immediate danger to the public, that this has been a reoccurring challenge since 2015. However, during a recent Corps Dam Safety Program evaluation, several required actions were identified, including the lake level restrictions, which are necessary until a permanent solution can be developed and implemented. The temporary restriction is intended to reduce stress on the Clemson Saddle Dike by limiting how high Hartwell Lake can rise during periods of heavy rainfall.
Although there will be impacts to hydropower, recreation, local communities, and businesses due to the lake level restrictions, safety remains the Savannah District’s top priority .Until the permanent solution is constructed, the Corps will keep water levels below a maximum level of 662 feet mean sea level (MSL), reducing pressure on the dike. To provide enough flood storage, the lake’s normal operating “full pool” will be lowered to 656 feet.
Has the “full pool” levels of Lake Lanier, now 1070 or 1071, depending on the season, changed since it was filled in the mid-1950s. No.. “The same seasonal targets have been in place for decades, with no major re‑establishment of a new “full pool” level,” says laklvl.com. “The all‑time high was about 1,077.2 ft in April 1964, and the record low was 1,052.34 ft in late 2007 during a severe drought.”