Lake Hartwell
Encyclopedia
Lake Hartwell is a reservoir
bordering Georgia
and South Carolina
on the Savannah
, Tugaloo
, and Seneca
Rivers. The lake is created by Hartwell Dam
located on the Savannah River seven miles (11 km) below the point at which the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers join to form the Savannah. Extending 49 miles (78.9 km) up the Tugaloo and 45 miles (72.4 km) up the Seneca at normal pool elevation, The lake comprises nearly 56,000 acres (230 km²) of water with a shoreline of 962 miles (1,548.2 km). The entire Hartwell “Project” contains 76,450 acres (309 km²) of land and water. I-85
bisects Hartwell Lake and makes the area easily accessible to visitors.
Lake Hartwell is named for the American Revolutionary War figure Nancy Hart
.
The Droughts and water levels of Lake Hartwell 1989 was the first year the lake hit a level 3 dropping to its lowest level during the drought that year. 2008 was the second time the lake hit a level 3.
In the year of 2008, due to severe drought in the southeastern United States, the lake dropped to over 22 feet (6.7 m) below its normal water level in December 2008. This revealed old highways that were typically underwater, exposed islands that are usually topped with buoys to warn boaters, and left some boat shells sitting on dry land.
As of the first of October 2010, the lake is back up to just over 654 feet, 6 ft lower than full pool of 660 ft. This rebound in lake level is due to releases from the lake being suspended for a month ending April 10, 2009 in an effort to return Lake Hartwell to normal elevations.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
bordering Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
on the Savannah
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the northernmost part of the border...
, Tugaloo
Tugaloo River
The Tugaloo River is a river bordering the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina. It is fed by the Tallulah River and the Chattooga River, which each form an arm of Lake Tugalo, on the edge of Georgia's Tallulah Gorge State Park. The Tugaloo then flows out of the lake via Tugaloo Dam,...
, and Seneca
Seneca River (Savannah River)
The Seneca River is created by the confluence of the Keowee River and Twelvemile Creek in northwestern South Carolina, downriver from Lake Keowee near Clemson. It is now entirely inundated by Lake Hartwell, forming a arm of the lake. The Seneca River and the Tugaloo River join to form the Savannah...
Rivers. The lake is created by Hartwell Dam
Hartwell Dam
Hartwell Dam is concrete and embankment dam located on the Savannah River at the border of South Carolina and Georgia, creating Lake Hartwell. The dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1955 and 1962 for the purposes of flood control, hydropower and navigation. The concrete and...
located on the Savannah River seven miles (11 km) below the point at which the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers join to form the Savannah. Extending 49 miles (78.9 km) up the Tugaloo and 45 miles (72.4 km) up the Seneca at normal pool elevation, The lake comprises nearly 56,000 acres (230 km²) of water with a shoreline of 962 miles (1,548.2 km). The entire Hartwell “Project” contains 76,450 acres (309 km²) of land and water. I-85
Interstate 85 in South Carolina
In the U.S. state of South Carolina, Interstate 85 runs northeast-southwest through Greenville and Spartanburg. It follows the general corridor of U.S. Route 29...
bisects Hartwell Lake and makes the area easily accessible to visitors.
Background
The Flood Control Act of 17 May 1950 authorized the Hartwell Dam and Reservoir as the second unit in the comprehensive development of the Savannah River Basin.44 The estimated cost was $68.4 million based on 1948 price levels and preliminary designs. The original project provided for a gravity-type concrete dam 2,415 feet long with earth embankments at either end, which would be 6,050 feet long on the Georgia side and 3,935 feet long on the South Carolina side. The 12,400-foot-long dam was to be topped with a roadway 24 feet wide. The main dam was to consist of two nonoverflow concrete sections on the right and left banks 887 feet and 940 feet long, respectively; a gravity-type concrete spillway 588 feet long equipped with 12 tainter gates 26 feet by 40 feet in the channel; and a powerhouse on the South Carolina side of the river.45 Full power pool was designed to be 660 feet above mean sea level. At this elevation, the reservoir would extend 7.1 miles up the Savannah River to the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers; 41 miles up the Tugaloo to within approximately 2 miles of the existing Yonah Dam; 27 miles up the Seneca to the mouth of the Little River, South Carolina; 2 miles up the Little River to the Newry site; and 7 miles up the Keowee to the Old Pickens site. The reservoir would cover 56,500 acres and would involve the relocation of 3 sections of railroad totaling 2 miles, the raising of 2 railroad bridges, construction of 6 sections of new state high- ways totaling 19.6 miles and 9 sections of county roads totaling 12.7 miles, the construction of 9 new bridges and the raising of 4 existing bridges, and the relocation of 2 power transmission lines.Lake Hartwell is named for the American Revolutionary War figure Nancy Hart
Nancy Hart
Nancy Morgan Hart was a heroine of the American Revolutionary War whose exploits against Loyalists in the Georgia backcountry are the stuff of legend...
.
The Droughts and water levels of Lake Hartwell 1989 was the first year the lake hit a level 3 dropping to its lowest level during the drought that year. 2008 was the second time the lake hit a level 3.
In the year of 2008, due to severe drought in the southeastern United States, the lake dropped to over 22 feet (6.7 m) below its normal water level in December 2008. This revealed old highways that were typically underwater, exposed islands that are usually topped with buoys to warn boaters, and left some boat shells sitting on dry land.
As of the first of October 2010, the lake is back up to just over 654 feet, 6 ft lower than full pool of 660 ft. This rebound in lake level is due to releases from the lake being suspended for a month ending April 10, 2009 in an effort to return Lake Hartwell to normal elevations.