Corps Taking Wait and See Approach to Hartwell, Russell Lake Spillway Openings
So far, the spillways at Hartwell and Russell Dams have not opened, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expecting that might happen soon.
Last Wednesday, the Corps’ Savannah District office announced it would open all three spillways – at Hartwell, Russell and Thurmond lakes in order to bring the lake levels back down to the winter guide curves.
However, only Lake Thurmond’s spillways were opened and they remain open.
Docks in Gumlog Cove on Lake Hartwell swamped by recent heavy rainfall and the rising lake level.
Corps spokesman Billy Birdwell said that’s because Hartwell and Russell Lakes, while in flood storage stage, are not quite high enough to warrant the spillways being opened.
“We don’t know if or when we will be opening the spillways at Hartwell or Russell, but we won’t do it before we hit 665 ft. msl at Hartwell or 480 ft msl at Lake Russell,” Birdwell said Monday. “All three lakes are in flood storage stage. As soon as they go above their summer pool, we consider that in flood storage.”
Another indicator as to whether they can open the spillways at Lakes Hartwell or Russell has to do with levels at Thurmond Lake
Trees that once stood on shore, now in water some three feet deep in Gumlog Cove
Birdwell said they cannot open the spillways further up the Savannah River Basin unless Thurmond’s level comes down significantly.
“It depends on how fast we can get space down at Thurmond,” he said. “We have to have some space at Thurmond before we can send water down stream. Otherwise we’re in trouble down in Thurmond.”
As of Monday morning, the level at Lake Hartwell was 664.79 ft msl – more than eight and half feet above the winter guide curve level of 656.13 ft msl and almost five feet over the summer full pool level of 660 ft msl.
Russell Lake’s level Monday stood at 479.76 – almost five feet above the summer full pool level of 475 ft msl.
Typically in the winter, the Corps draws water down in the lakes to make way for winter snow and rainfall.
And even though we’ve had no rain for several days, Birdwell said the lakes are still rising.
“We are still experiencing inflows, so they (water levels) are still coming up,” Birdwell said. “But we have to be careful how much water we send out of Thurmond because if we let too much water out, we can contribute to local flooding downstream.”
Now according to Birdwell, the Corps is monitoring the lake levels hour by hour and when anything changes we will of course bring it to you.
Birdwell said anyone needing more information, can go to the Savannah River District’s Facebook page or online to the Hartwell Dam and Lake Web site.