Lake Hartwell was the second Army Corps of Engineers project built in the Savannah River Basin. First was J. Strom Thurmond Lake & Dam, which was completed in 1952. Hartwell Dam & Lake followed in 1962. Richard B. Russell Dam & Lake was completed in 1985. These dams were constructed primarily to control devastating floods in the area and to generate hydroelectric power. Additionally, Hartwell and Thurmond were intended to support downstream navigation. In the years since, Congress has further authorized the purposes of fish and wildlife conservation, recreation, and conservation storage. The Army Corps of Engineers is required to balance all of the purposes Congress has authorized. Some purposes may take priority at different times, such as during drought or fish spawning periods. However, the Corps cannot prioritize recreation above other authorized purposes, regardless of how much we might appreciate that here at Lake Hartwell.
Hartwell Powerplant consists of 5 generators producing over 468 million-kilowatt hours each year. The Department of Energy’s Southeastern Power Administration markets and sells this power to private power companies and cooperatives in the southeastern United States. Hydropower is an affordable and renewable energy source, and hydroelectric power plants are an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional power plants.
The Corps estimates that the dams and lakes of the Savannah River Basin have prevented more than $211 million in flood damages, with Hartwell alone preventing at least $74 million in damages (as of July 2013). The dam holds back runoff from heavy rains so that it can be released slowly. The floodgates are opened when the reservoir reaches maximum capacity, which has happened only 4 times — 1964, 1994, 2013, and 2016.
Prior to the construction of these dams and lakes, communities along the Savannah River had been at serious risk of flooding. One example of this is the devastating flood that Augusta, Georgia endured in September of 1888 when the Savannah River rose by 36 feet. Homes and businesses were left in ruins, and the local community was crippled.
The Savannah River basin is home to thousands of species of fish, plants, and wildlife — some of which are endangered. Areas around each lake are planted to provide food and cover for deer, ducks, turkeys, and songbirds.
The Department of the Interior’s Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is a 29,000 acre refuge that depends upon the Savannah River to support a broad spectrum of migratory and resident wildlife including bobcats, alligators, river otters, blue crabs, and array of fish and birds.
One of the primary purposes of constructing Hartwell Dam & Lake was to make it possible for freight barges to navigate the Savannah River between Augusta, Georgia and the Atlantic Ocean. In the years following construction, expansion of railroads and trucking decreased the need for transporting goods by water. Maintenance of this channel for shipping ended in 1979, but it still serves recreational purposes and is used to allow the passage of migratory fish species.
Over 1.5 million people depend on the Savannah River and its reservoirs for drinking water. Additionally, industries along the Savannah River depend on continuous water for their operation. These include Kimberly-Clark in Beech Island, Vogtle Electric near Waynesboro, Imperial Sugar and International Paper, both in Port Wentworth.
Municipalities and industries discharge treated wastewater into the River as permitted, so a consistent flow of fresh water is required to dilute this wastewater. The states set and enforce water quality standards. Industries are constantly working to improve methods that will result in cleaner wastewater, but in the meantime dilution is the solution to pollution. Water is not released specifically for the purpose of diluting wastewater, but drought plans do consider the fact that reduced outflows will impact water quality downstream.
Conservation storage is the portion of storage designed to store water during normal periods for use during low flow periods. Storing water for later use allows the Army Corps of Engineers to fulfill the other Congressionally authorizes purposes.
While recreation is a Congressionally approved purpose, it is not higher in priority than any of the other approved purposes. Changing the priority would require Congressional action and would likely impact funding for the maintenance of the lake and surrounding areas.
Lake Hartwell’s water level at full pool is 660 feet above mean sea level — typically abbreviated as msl. Full pool is defined as the level to which the surface will rise during ordinary conditions. Typically, the water level will begin to drop in the late summer due to low rainfall and high evaporation rates. When the level doesn’t drop naturally, the Corps will gradually reduce the top of the conservation storage zone to make room for potentially heavy spring rainfall. Since the Corps has to consider the possibility of heavy spring rains, 656 ft msl is considered full pool in winter. When the level drops to 656 ft or below, winter and spring rains typically bring the lake to full pool by April.
We’ve heard people say that the Corps drops Lake Hartwell over the winter in order to allow people to make dock repairs and do work along the shoreline, but this simply is not true. The Army Corps of Engineers does not owe that to adjacent property owners, and doing this would be outside the list of uses that Congress has approved.
Rainfall is the primary factor that determines the water level on Lake Hartwell — not just locally, but downstream as well. With sufficient rainfall, we don’t even notice when the Corps releases water. Any time the lake level drops, we hear complaints from property owners about the Corps letting too much water out of the lake. When people start posting about this on Facebook, you will inevitably see numerous comments stating that Lake Hartwell exists for power generation and not for recreation. This does not accurately explain why the Corps must continue to release water from Hartwell, even during drought conditions. In fact, once any reservoir reaches drought level 1, The Corps does not release water for the sole purpose of generating electricity. At this point, they only generate electricity when already releasing water in order to meet downstream needs. During drought, they will continue to release water as needed for the purposes of fish & wildlife conservation, water supply, and water quality because those purposes are absolutely necessary.
We often see people asking why the lake level hasn’t gone up despite recent rainfall. The responses typically say that the Corps doesn’t know how to manage the lake. However, the reality is that much of the water that enters the lake comes in the form of runoff. During a drought, the ground is so dry that it absorbs rainfall before it can ever become runoff. One day of rain is not going to make much of a difference in the overall lake level during a drought. Additionally, demands downstream (meaning along the Savannah River) where there might not have been any recent rainfall may necessitate continued water releases. The Savannah River doesn’t end at Lake Russell — it flows into the Atlantic Ocean!
I highly recommend reading the Drought FAQs here.
The image to the left shows the Lake Hartwell shoreline in March of 2026 when the water level was approximately 7 feet below full pool. This is the lowest level we have seen since early 2018.
Lake Hartwell started 2018 at 10 feet below full pool. The level rose sharply due to heavy rainfall, and Lake Hartwell reached full pool by April 1. The drought that ended in 2018 began in mid-2016. In January of 2016, Lake Hartwell reached nearly 5 feet above full pool, requiring the the Corps to open the floodgates for only the FOURTH time in the lake’s history. That year, the water level slowly but steadily declined starting in early June, reaching 11 feet below full pool by the end of December 2016.
We highly recommend that anyone considering purchasing property on Lake Hartwell view historical satellite imagery on Google Earth in order to see what properties looked like during the 2017 drought. You can also find water depth information through the Navionics boating app by Garmin. Visit this page to easily view historical Lake Hartwell water levels. Contact us today if you’re ready to start your search!
