It’s the end of the year, halls decked with cheer
So it’s time to look back for the Corps of Engineers
Projects so vast too much to count
but here’s a quick bit for what we’re all about
Washington got things begun
and started the Corps before the War was won
Since that time so much has changed
but in many ways, the mission’s the same:
Building strong, energizing the economy
to help ensure our nation’s autonomy
But zooming in, just like a pic
Let’s focus on Savannah District
— Break —
Early in the year it was the ironclad
Revealing Civil-War-gems no one knew she had
In the summer, we got a new commander, true
and thanked the Navy for all they do
Helping out with STEM just giving back
and brought our sons & daughters to the workplace (snap!)
We started outer harbor dredging
and used other sand to protect endangered fledglings
Ok, technically some were species of concern
But don’t mention that to the Royal Tern
And don’t forget Pulaski
erosion threatened its history
So we bulked up the beach got the park on station
for what engineers call “shoreline stabilization”
— Break —
Our FEST team aided the Afghans, y’all
But still made time for battle ball
One of our dams starred in Hunger Games
It starts with a ‘T’ but we’re not naming no names (Thurmond!)
And the other two, were like a platinum song
Over 10 million visitors can’t be wrong
Promoting safe recreation
By offering flotation
No place you’ll love more than the Savannah Corps
in terms of charm, we lead the nation
But as we look back, we’re looking forward, too
‘cause in ’16 there’s so much left to do.
But before we go there’s one more thing to say
From our family to yours, Happy Holidays!
~ Jeremy S. Buddemeier, Corporate Communications Office
Just curious…will all the release of water, are all generators running or is the release more than they can handle? Another words are we making money on every drop or is some released without generating?
Good question DMR! The Morning Report shows 0.25 MWH of generation per 1 cfs of releases (2500 MWH/9883 CFS), a ratio corresponding to 100% generation at the current Thurmond elevation of 334′. USACE will not likely spill water unless Thurmond exceeds the Flood elevation of 335′ with an expectation to continue rising.
Thanks to the Guide Curve and water manager foresight, Thurmond remained at 326′ on Dec 17. Rainfall distribution considerably limited the Hartwell Flood Storage benefit, and Hartwell has risen only 3′ compared to 8′ for Thurmond since Dec 17. ~Ferris
Thanks for the comment DMR. We hope your holidays are going well. Ferris is correct. So far we’re running 100% of the water through the generator turbines. We will continue using all the water to produce clean, renewable energy until and unless water levels rise above 335 at Thurmond or 665 at Hartwell. Hope this helps ~Russell
Why, with Thurmond 6 inches from top of gate, Russell 1.5 feet from top of gate, and Hartwell 2 feet from top of gate, are ANY releases from Hartwell and Russell occurring? Is the projected flooding that bad, and if so, why has the discharge from Thurmond been lowered?