Second Lake Hartwell levels meeting

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Savannah District will host their second public meeting to discuss the drought and what the new full lake level target will be once the Savannah River Basin and Hartwell Lake receive enough rain, ending the drought conditions.
The meeting will take place virtually through a Microsoft Teams webinar Oct. 8, 2026, from 6-7:30 p.m. To join the meeting click on the link: https://dod.teams.microsoft.us/meet/993339955532?p=vGnq8DVFXYOaZxpLiy.
Once the lake rises to the newly established 656-foot Mean Sea Level (MSL) full lake target level, the lake level restriction at Hartwell Lake will remain in place until a long-term engineering solution is designed and built to resolve flood risks associated with a seepage deterioration path identified at the Clemson Saddle Dike.
Currently, due to the drought, Hartwell Lake level is 649.10 ft MSL, more than six feet below the newly established lake level restriction of 656 ft. The lake level was at 651.42 ft on Aug. 25, 2026, the day before the Savannah District announced the new lake level restriction associated with the seepage at the Clemson Lower Diversion Dam Saddle Dike, and that level was due to the current drought and not the recently announced lake level restriction. Hartwell Lake is experiencing record level rainfall deficits of 14.5 inches for the last year.
There are three separate protective earthen dam structures around Clemson University. Together, they reduce flood risks to the surrounding area. They primarily divert the Seneca River to prevent flooding. In the 1980s, the Corps of Engineers repaired two of the three Clemson Diversion Dams, but the current issue is with the third diversion dam, called the Clemson Saddle Dike. The saddle dike did not show signs of seepage in the 1980s, so there wasn’t a need for it to be repaired then or since 2015.
The seepage issue with the Clemson Saddle Dike was discovered in 2015, and the Corps of Engineers Dam Safety team has been
continually monitoring and conducting assessments of erosion and seepage since that time, to determine the risk. While there is no immediate danger to the public, the current condition of the saddle dike no longer meets the Corps of Engineers’ acceptable risk standards. During a recent Dam Safety Program evaluation, several required actions were identified, including the lake level restriction. The temporary restriction is intended to reduce stress/pressure on the Clemson Saddle Dike by limiting how high Hartwell Lake can rise during periods of heavy rainfall.
Frequently asked questions can be found here: https://www.sas.usace.army.mil/Missions/Hartwell-Dam-and-Lake/Hartwell-Lake-Level-Restrictions/ and for additional information regarding shoreline management, please call Hartwell Lake Project Manager’s Office at 888-893-0678 or 706-856-0300.