Why Is Lake Hartwell So Low, and Why Could It Stay Lower Longer?
If you have lived around Lake Hartwell for any length of time, seeing the lake down several feet is nothing new.
Hartwell has always had cycles. We have wet years, dry years, winter drawdowns, droughts, and eventually periods when the lake fills back up again. Longtime residents have watched islands appear, docks sit closer to the bottom, and shorelines stretch farther out than they did the summer before.
Right now, drought is the main reason Lake Hartwell is so low. But there is something different this time: even after the drought ends, the lake is not expected to return to its traditional summer full-pool level for quite some time.
Drought Has Hartwell Well Below Normal
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says the Upper Savannah River Basin is currently experiencing Level 2 drought conditions, and Hartwell is approximately eight feet below its normal guide curve.
That part is not especially unusual for those of us who have lived around the lake for years.
Lake Hartwell is a managed reservoir. Water levels naturally fluctuate depending on rainfall, inflow from rivers and streams, downstream requirements, hydropower operations, and drought management.
We have seen Hartwell low before, and we will see it low again.
The important difference is what happens when the rain returns.
Hartwell's New Target Is 656 Feet
Historically, Lake Hartwell's normal guide curve varied seasonally. The summer target was approximately 660 feet above mean sea level, while the winter target dropped to around 656 feet.
That is changing.
The Corps has announced that Hartwell's guide curve will temporarily be set at 656 feet year-round. The Corps will also manage the lake so it remains below a maximum elevation of 662 feet.
So when our rainfall improves, we should not expect Hartwell to routinely climb back to the familiar 660-foot summer level.
That four-foot difference matters around a lake this large.
Why Is the Corps Keeping Hartwell Lower?
The restriction involves the Clemson Lower Diversion Dam Saddle Dike.
Engineers have identified seepage through and beneath the earthen structure. The Corps describes the problem as water traveling through pathways in the soil that can gradually carry away fine soil particles.
The Corps says there is no immediate danger to the public, but the condition does not currently meet its acceptable risk standards. Keeping Lake Hartwell lower reduces water pressure against the dike while engineers study and develop a permanent solution.
The Corps also notes that this has been a recurring challenge since 2015.
This Could Last Much Longer Than a Normal Low-Water Cycle
This is the part Lake Hartwell property owners and buyers need to understand.
Normally, during a drought, we wait for rain and watch the lake gradually recover.
This time, the Corps says the restriction is expected to remain until a Dam Safety Modification Study is completed and the recommended permanent construction is finished. According to the Corps, the study itself can typically take up to two years, while design, funding approval and construction can take five years or more.
That does not mean Hartwell will remain at today's drought level for five years.
It means that when enough rain finally arrives to refill the lake, the operating target will still be 656 feet rather than the old summer target of 660 feet until the restriction is lifted.
That is a very important distinction.
What Does 656 Feet Mean for Lakefront Property?
Four feet may not sound like much until you own property on a shallow cove.
The Corps specifically warns that property owners with shallow-water docks may experience dry conditions more often under the 656-foot year-round target. Some shallow boat ramps may also become unusable, and designated swimming beaches generally become unusable below 657 feet.
Deeper-water properties may see considerably less impact.
That is one reason I have always encouraged Lake Hartwell buyers to look at more than the water they see on the day we visit a property.
Ask:
How much water is normally under the dock?
What happens when Hartwell drops five, eight or ten feet?
Is the dock sitting in a main channel, a deep cove or shallow water?
Where is the Corps property line?
What does the shoreline look like when the lake is down?
A beautiful dock with plenty of water during a wet year does not tell you everything you need to know about a Lake Hartwell property.
Low Water Is Part of Living on Hartwell
I don't think low water should frighten people away from Lake Hartwell.
It is part of owning property on a reservoir.
Hartwell remains an enormous recreational lake with boating, fishing, waterfront homes and miles of shoreline. Buyers need good information and realistic expectations.
Those of us who have lived here for years know that Hartwell rises and falls. We have watched these cycles before.
What makes the current situation different is that the next recovery will have a ceiling. Even when the drought breaks, the lake is expected to be managed around 656 feet instead of returning to the traditional 660-foot summer level.
And according to the Corps' projected engineering timeline, that restriction could last for several years.
If you are considering a Lake Hartwell home or lot, don't just ask whether it has a dock.
Ask what that dock looks like when the lake is down.
Gwen Fowler Real Estate, Inc.
864-710-4518
gwen@gfowler.com
CoolMountainEscapes.com
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