Reservoirs Equipped To Handle Rainfall

Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District said today that the Hartwell, Russell, and Thurmond Reservoirs are equipped and able to safely capture rainfall from Tropical Storm Irma.

Currently Hartwell and Thurmond Reservoirs are in a drought status and have more than 12 feet of storage capacity available for rising water levels. Based on the rainfall forecast water managers estimate Hartwell will rise about 3.5 feet and Thurmond 6 feet, bringing the reservoirs welcome relief from drought. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers there is no cause for concern over the structural integrity of the dams. They emphasize that the dams and reservoirs were designed and equipped to handle this kind of event and are well within their operating parameters. They are in sound operating condition.

However, officials advise caution for those who might be near the Savannah River below Thurmond Dam for the next several days. Although the Corps’ dams can capture inflow upstream of the structures, rainfall below Thurmond flows into unregulated tributaries resulting in dangerous conditions on the Savannah River downstream of the dam through Augusta, Georgia, and beyond the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam.

Water managers said they intend to reduce or halt Thurmond discharge downstream if the river below Thurmond Dam is to climb above its channel capacity, although halting discharge from Thurmond will mitigate river swelling below the dam, localized inflows are still expected to result in dangerous conditions downstream of Thurmond.