Corps of Engineers to Open Hartwell Dam Spillways This Afternoon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be opening the spillways at Lake Hartwell Dam this afternoon, but it is not because of high lake levels.

Corps engineers will begin opening the Hartwell Dam spillway gates this afternoon beginning at 2p

Corps spokeman Billy Birdwell says this is a required test they must do every year.

“This is a periodic test. We are required to test the gates on a regular basis,” Birdwell explained. “This is just a safety test and that’s all it is. Sometimes we have to do these regardless of water levels. This time we happen to be fortunate enough to have a lot of water behind the dam, but it’s not related to water levels.”

While at one point last month, Hartwell was some three feet above full pool due to heavy rainfall, as of Monday it was back down to 660.4 ft above mean sea level, which is right at full pool.

According to Birdwell, the test will ensure the gates work properly and can be activated in the event of an emergency to protect the dam plus people and property downstream.

Normally, when the Corps opens the spillways, they open them all at once, but Birdwell said this time it will be done a little differently.

“They will open all of the gates, but they will only open them one or two at a time,” he said. “Then they will close those gates and open one or two more. So, this will not be a dramatic release of water from all of the gates all at once. This way, we can open each gate, see how it does, close it and move on to the next one instead of going back and forth and try to evaluate all of the gates at the same time.”

Still, Birdwell says the public will be allowed to observe the tests from designated viewing and parking areas below Hartwell Dam.

“The areas where people can go on either side of the dam, both in Georgia and on the South Carolina side on the bluffs will remain open as they always are, but the visual effect will be much less dramatic than it has in the past,” Birdwell said.

Observing the test from the Highway 29 bridge, by car or foot, is strictly forbidden.

Additionally, boaters should not approach the dam from downstream during the test as currents will be strong and turbulent.

Birdwell said the test will have only a minimal impact on reservoir levels.

Because spring rains filled Hartwell Lake into the flood-storage area putting it above “full summer pool,” the test will lower Hartwell Lake only one-tenth of an inch – or about the thickness of 25 sheets of common copy paper.

Again, the Hartwell Dam spillway test will begin around 2p and should take about an hour to complete.