Drought Response Workshop Lake Hartwell October 25, 2012

The Savannah River Basin 2088 sq miles 802 sq miles 2890 sq miles Total Drainage Basin Area -10,580 sq miles 31 31

Savannah River Basin Value to the Nation Hydropower: 1,254,846 MWH $70.7M Treasury Receipts Recreation: 5,340 Jobs $2.2M User Fees, 16M Visits $4.9M Visitor Spending Water Supply: 29 Communities $53K Revenues Environmental Stewardship: $1.7M Timber Receipts $270K Shoreline Use Revenues GPA Navigation: $15.5B Income $61.7B Revenue Cumulative Flood Damage Prevented: $211M

Hartwell Russell Thurmond 3rd most-visited Corps project in the Nation - 10.1M visitors/year Largest Corps power plant east of Mississippi River 8th most-visited Corps project in the Nation-6M visitors/year Completed in 1962 Completed in 1984 Completed in 1952 56,000 acres (660 ft), 962-mile shoreline 26,653 acres (475 ft ), 540-mile shoreline 71,100 acres (330 ft ), 1200-mile shoreline 5 turbines , 422 MW 8 turbines, (4 as pump-back) 648 MW 7 turbines, 364 MW 85 Recreation areas (50 Corps operated) 32 Recreation areas (3 Corps operated) 55 Recreation areas (35 Corps operated) Largest shoreline management program in the Corps Built in the late 50’s and early 60’s, Hartwell Lake is only slightly smaller than its older sister, J. Strom Thurmond Lake, above Augusta, Georgia. The dam lies seven miles below the confluence of the Seneca and Tugaloo Rivers which join to form the Savannah. At full summer pool, the lake has a shoreline of almost 1000 miles. The five turbines are housed in the Corps’ only outdoor power plant. At the completion of the current rehabilitation project, the project will be able to provide 422 megawatts of electricity. Hartwell Lake has the Corps’ largest shoreline permitting program in the Corps of Engineers. Fifty percent of the public shoreline is allocated for limited private use. Over 10,000 boat docks ring the lake and there are a total of 30,000 permitted activities.

Congressional Authorization   Congressional Authorization Authorized Purpose Hartwell Russell Thurmond Flood Damage Reduction Flood Control Act of 1950 Flood Control Act of 1966 Flood Control Act of 1944 Hydropower Navigation No Navigation Authorization  Water Supply Water Supply Act of 1958 Water Quality Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 Fish and Wildlife Federal Water Project Recreation Act of 1965 Federal Water Project Recreation Act of 1965, WRDA 1986 WRDA 1986 Recreation

Savannah River Reservoir System Pool Schematic 293,000 AC-FT Top of Con, 660 1,416,000 AC-FT 1,134,100 AC-FT 140,000 AC-FT 126,800 AC-FT 899,400 AC-FT 390,000 AC-FT Top of Con, 330 System Storage 1,045,000 AC-FT This is a general schematic if the projects showing relative storages of the different projects based on summer full pool. Flood Control Storage 823,000 AC-FT Conservation Storage 2,587,800 AC-FT Inactive Storage 3,498,500 AC-FT 1,465,000 AC-FT

Pool Balancing Procedure Hartwell Russell Thurmond 665 480 335 Current Water Level 660 475 330 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 470 Level 3 Level 3 Level 4 312 The lakes were designed to meet specific authorized project purposes. There is a limit as to how far each lake elevation can fluctuate. Lake Hartwell’s pool is designed to operate between full pool and 625 ft. mean sea level. Full pool varies seasonally between 660 ft. mean sea level during the summer months, and 656 ft. mean sea level in the winter months. This normal range of fluctuation is called the conservation pool. The size of the conservation pool is designed so that during dry periods a specific rate of release can be maintained to meet downstream flow requirements for water quality, water supply and hydropower. If we were to further limit the amount that the pool could be drawn upon, then we could not meet these needs. It is very important to note, that contrary to popular misunderstanding and rumors, we have been releasing only enough water to meet state mandated water quality and related supply needs since May of 1999. The average release at Lake Thurmond since that time was 4283 cubic feet per second. The average since September 12, 2002, the date we hit trigger level 3, was 3470 cubic feet per second. Once the pools have declined more than 15 feet we balance Hartwell and Thurmond based on the percent of Conservation pool depth remaining 7:1 Then we balance the Hartwell and Thurmond pools foot for foot while in the top 15 feet of their respective Conservation pools 1:1 During Flood Control Operations we evacuate the downstream flood storage first Level 4 625

Balancing Project Purposes Flood Management Level 2 Operation Level 1 Operation Balancing Project Purposes Level 3 Operation Normal Operation Level 4 Operation Flood Management Flood Risk Management Guide Curve Navigation Non-Drought Hydropower Mild Drought Drought Level 1 Recreation Drought Level 2 Moderate Drought Fish and Wildlife Drought Level 3 Severe Drought Water Quality Drought Level 4 Catastrophic Drought Water Supply

Collaborative Process National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Clean Water Act (CWA) Endangered Species Act (ESA) Corps owns and manages the container Corps sells water supply storage in the reservoirs States own the water States do the Water Supply permitting, both in the river and in the reservoirs. States use 3600 cfs as the minimum for their permitting of point source discharges

Long-term & Sustained Drought Hartwell -29.93 Thurmond -21.63 Deficit 1997-2002 rainfall Hartwell -19.63 Thurmond -4.42 Deficit 2002-2007 rainfall Hartwell -32.94 Thurmond -12.41 Deficit 2007-2012 rainfall Our calculated basin average rainfall is based on observed rainfall being used back to 1948, shortly before the projects were constructed. Based on the compounding deficit, we appear to be experiencing some climate change

Hartwell Rainfall 74.2 94.5 20.3

Why Aren’t the Lake Levels Rising? Anderson, S.C. Anderson Hartwell There are lots of reasons why when you see it rain, we do not see the lake levels rise much. Only the rainfall that falls within the local basin of a project has the possibility of ever seeing some of that rainfall ever make it into that reservoir. Other factors affecting pool levels are upstream releases, soil conditions, time of year, and intensity of rainfall. It is not until the soil is near saturated before you will see significant amounts of runoff.

Why Aren’t the Lake Levels Rising? Produces Run off Ground soaks up rainfall; no run off Run off will also vary depending on the development of the area. Urban areas are likely to result in more run off because of buildings, concrete, asphalt and other man-made surfaces that do not absorb water. Rural areas will have much less run off because water will be absorbed into the soil and consumed by trees and other vegetation.

Drainage Basins Hartwell = 1,186 Square Miles (Local Basin Area) 1” Runoff = 1.1’ pool elevation @ 660.0 Russell = 802 Square Miles (Local Basin Area) 1” Runoff = 1.5’ pool elevation @ 475.0 Thurmond = 3,254 Square Miles (Local Basin Area) 1” Runoff = 2.5’ pool elevation @ 330.0 Depending on conditions, it would typically have to rain between 2 and 6 inches to develop 1 inch of runoff. When it rains, typically less than 40 percent of that rainfall becomes runoff.

Drought Plan History Event Action Description (New Drought of Record) 1989 Drought Contingency Plan Introduced flow restrictions Level 1 – Safety Advisory for boaters Level 2- Max weekly average 4500 cfs Level 3- Specified 3600 cfs daily average at Thurmond 1998-2002 Drought 2006 Drought Plan Update Environmental Assessment - (Step 1 Savannah River Basin Comprehensive Study) Level 1 – Max weekly average 4200 cfs Level 2- Max weekly average 4000 cfs Level 3- Specified 3800 cfs daily average at Thurmond 2007-2009 Drought Temporary deviation to 3600cfs at Thurmond Oct2007-May2009 (supported by Federal and State agencies without an EA) Reduction occurred at Drought Level 2 (Hartwell @ 649.85/ Thurmond@319.76) Temporary Deviation to 3100cfs Dec2008-Jan2009 (supported by Federal and State agencies without an EA) Used adaptive management to maintain 3600 min @ Savannah River at Augusta gage Drought Level 4 Study and Environmental Assessment Developed standard operating procedure for inactive storage (Level 4) 2011-? Drought 2012 Drought Plan Revision Environmental Assessment Evaluation and modification of the 2006 EA rules in the 2007-2009 drought and temporary deviations Plan to allow pools to refill above guide curve up to summer full pool Seeking resource agency concurrence to hold 3,800 cfs during refill

2012 Drought Plan Trigger Level Time of Year Drought Response 1 Jan 1 - Dec 31 IF BR index >10%, Target 4200 cfs (daily average) release at Thurmond Dam IF BR index <10%, Target 4000 cfs (daily average) release at Thurmond Dam 2 Feb 1 - Oct 31 IF BR index >10%, Target 4000 cfs (daily average) release at Thurmond Dam IF BR index <10%, Target 3800 cfs (daily average) release at Thurmond Dam Nov 1 - Jan 31 Target 3600 cfs (daily average) release at Thurmond Dam 3 Target 3800 cfs (daily average) release at Thurmond Dam (Feb 1 – Feb 28 w/NMFS approval) Target 3100 cfs (daily average) release at Thurmond Dam 4 Target 3100 cfs (daily average) release at Thurmond Dam Dates in red font represent changes in the 2012 DCP

Hartwell Pool Elevation

10 Week Projection

Savannah River Basin Comprehensive Study Purpose: Assess the current needs in the basin during flood, normal and drought conditions to determine whether operational changes are warranted. Study Components: Interim Study I: Completed in 2006 with an Environmental Assessment and operational changes to the Comprehensive Study Interim Study II: Drought Contingency Plan Update and determine the minimum acceptable flow during droughts Future Interim Studies: Hydrologic Engineering and Environmental Analyses Study Sponsorship: Study Cost: Interim Study I: $1.8M, Interim Study II: $908K, Interim Study III: TBD Cost Share: 50% Federal/ 50% Non-Federal (cash or work-in-kind services) Non-Federal Sponsors: GA-DNR, SC-DNR (and The Nature Conservancy) Estimated Completion Date: 2027 (Interim Study II: 2014) Issues: Insufficient sponsor funding and resources to proceed. The sponsors are coordinating internally and with the other sponsors to determine how to move forward with non-Federal contributions towards the study.

Savannah River Basin Comprehensive Study Alternatives Level NAA Alt 1 Alt2 Alt 3 Alt4 Alt 5 1 4200 >10% Qin 3800 Feb-Apr 4000 at 326 Drought Ecosystem 3600   4000 <=10% Qin 3500 May-Jan Flow Prescription 3100 Nov-Jan 2 4000 >10% Qin 2800 Feb-Apr 3800 at 324 3800 <=10% Qin 3600 Nov-Jan 2500 May-Jan 3 3800 1800 Feb-Apr 3600 at 322 1500 May-Jan  3100 Nov-Jan 4 Feb-Apr . TO BE DETERMINED 10% Qin is defined as the 10th percentile flow at the Broad River near Bell piedmont reference stream gage for reservoir inflow. Holding minimum drought release until pools have recovered to guide curve will be evaluated on chosen Alternative

July 2012 Congressional Request Desires pool levels to remain no greater than 7-8 feet down. Releases would have to be 3,100 cfs when 2’ below full pool to meet this requirement during the current drought period. A 3,100cfs constant release is unacceptable to State and Federal resource agencies. (3,600cfs is the current minimum permitting standard) 3,100 cfs 3,800 cfs Drought Plan

Questions?