1. Drought Response Workshop
Lake Hartwell
October 25, 2012

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

3. 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

4. Hartwell Russell Thurmond
3rd most-visited Corps project in the Nation M 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, permitted activities.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Long-term & Sustained Drought
Hartwell
Thurmond
Deficit
rainfall
Hartwell
Thurmond -4.42
Deficit
rainfall
Hartwell
Thurmond
Deficit
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

12. Hartwell Rainfall
74.2
94.5
20.3

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. Drainage Basins Hartwell = 1,186 Square Miles (Local Basin Area)
1” Runoff = 1.1’ pool 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 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.

16. 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
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
Drought
Temporary deviation to 3600cfs at Thurmond Oct2007-May2009 (supported by Federal and State agencies without an EA)
Reduction occurred at Drought Level /
Temporary Deviation to 3100cfs Dec2008-Jan2009 (supported by Federal and State agencies without an EA)
Used adaptive management to maintain 3600 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 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

17. 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

20. Hartwell Pool Elevation

21. 10 Week Projection

22. 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.

23. 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

24. 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

25. Questions?