Legislators Questioned on Lake Levels

The ongoing drought has also had a major effect on lake levels at Hartwell Lake and area residents want answers on how to minimize the problem as much as possible.

Residents at last week’s state legislative preview meeting in Toccoa questioned state and federal representatives on the matter.

Those residents questioned why Corps lakes could not be maintained in the same way as Georgia Power lakes and note that low lake levels at Hartwell affect the surrounding communities’ economies.

Joel Katz was on hand to represent U.S. Representative Doug Collins.

Katz said that Corps lakes have different requirements than other lakes as far as how they are managed and what must be considered.

“With the Georgia Power lakes, one, they are not for flood control at all, so they have got a significantly different purpose,” said Katz. “They do not have to draw down for flood control at all. The Army Corps of Engineers does, which makes their lakes different.”

Katz did say that they are looking at trying to have the code for Lake Hartwell amended to include economic development as a responsibility and factor to consider when setting lake flows and releases.

“They have to take into account navigation downstream, water temperature, all these different types of things,” said Katz. “If they have economic development as well, that would change the calculation. That is something we have been working on. It is not an easy change, but it is something we are trying.”

Katz said that they are also looking at some technology already in place at Lake Russell.

“They have got pump back ability, which helps maintain lake level to some degree,” said Katz, who explained they pump back the water at night and generate off the same water the next day.

Katz also noted that Collins is part of a Corps of Engineers caucus in Congress that talks about these issues.

Meanwhile, State Senator John Wilkinson and State Representative Dan Gasaway said on the state level, they are part of a Savannah River Caucus that has met and talked about these issues as well.