Despite rising water level at Hartwell and Russell reservoirs, enough storage area remains to delay opening the spillway gates – rumors notwithstanding.
As of this post the water level at Lake Hartwell is 663.1 feet above mean sea level, almost 2 full feet below full capacity. Both Russell and J. Strom Thurmond reservoirs have more than 2.5 feet of available capacity.
The upper basin received about 1.4 inches of rain over the last 24 hours, which is moderately less than the forecasted 2 to 4 inches we anticipated. However, natural inflows into Lake Hartwell remain greater than the current discharge rate, causing the reservoir to continue climbing.
Conditions beyond today may still require opening spillway gates at all three reservoirs, especially if the basin receives more noteworthy rainfall in the next three to five days.