A q-and-a on Lake Hartwell

Here’s a short question-answer interview that 101.7/WGOG NEWS held with Billy Birdwell, spokesman for the U-S Army Corps of Engineers, about the corps’ managed Lake Hartwell:

“Please tell me how many public comments received on the update to the Hartwell Lake master plan.”

A1:   We have received 13 comments regarding the Hartwell Lake Master Plan Update.

Q2:   “And can you describe the more common expressions?”

A2:   There were five requests for changes to be made to shoreline allocation so the adjacent property owner could qualify for a boat dock. Shoreline allocations are an integral part of the Hartwell Project Shoreline Management Plan but is not addressed in the Master Plan.

We responded to these requests for changes to shoreline allocation with “The Corps cannot make site specific allocation changes. Any allocation changes could only be made as part of a comprehensive review of all shoreline allocations to ensure a balance between permitted private uses and resource protection for general public use is maintained. A comprehensive review of shoreline allocation was not funded as part of the recent Master Plan revision.”

Shoreline Use Permits do not fall within the purview of the Master Plan. Those issues would be addressed during the next revision of the Shoreline Management Plan (SMP). The current SMP, which became effective November 15, 2020, can be viewed at https://www.sas.usace.army.mil/About/Divisions-and-Offices/Operations-Division/Hartwell-Dam-and-Lake/Shoreline-Management/