Tag Archives: Lake Thurmond

J. Strom Thurmond Dam, then and now

Eight years in the making, the J. Strom Thurmond Dam was a monumental task for engineers and construction workers in the 1940s and ‘50s. Archival footage in this video shows the steps they took to layer power plant fixtures as … Continue reading

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Dams demand best of operator trainees

(Above: Les Rice guides visitors through a quick tour of the J. Strom Thurmond Dam.) AUGUSTA, Ga. – J. Strom Thurmond Dam currently operates at 98 percent proficiency but its operators are expected to perform above this percentage. Operator Trainee … Continue reading

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Upper Savannah reservoirs enter Drought Level 1

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The three reservoirs on the Savannah River operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers entered the first drought level today when pool elevation at Thurmond Lake dipped below 326 feet above mean sea level (ft-msl). Entering … Continue reading

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Commander: Persistent, below normal rainfall expected to impact lake levels

Since I took command of the Savannah District in June 2015 we’ve been fortunate to have adequate, and sometimes abundant, rainfall and inflows to maintain full reservoir levels. Beginning in January we observed below-average rainfall throughout the basin, yet were … Continue reading

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Living on borrowed rain

Now that it’s officially summer, the heat is on in more ways than one. Namely, if the trend of sub-par precipitation doesn’t improve, the basin could enter drought level 1 before August. That same trajectory would bring us to drought … Continue reading

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Hunter’s game dampened by stormy opponent

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Like a game of chess, the players lie in wait to outsmart their opponent’s next move. But on a morning besieged by rain, the turkeys had nature’s advantage.

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High praise for below average performance

For all the hubbub this year’s strong El Niño has generated among forecasters, January’s precipitation, which delivered about 80% of the average at each sub-basin, felt more underwhelming than the numbers suggest. It’s like when LeBron James only scores 20 … Continue reading

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On groundhogs and water levels: What will reservoirs look like on Memorial Day?

February has arrived and Groundhog Day has come-and-gone. So this makes me a little late in giving my annual prediction on how the three Corps of Engineers’ Savannah River reservoirs will begin the 2015 tourist season. Now whether my prognostication … Continue reading

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Thurmond spillway gates receive a tune-up

Spillway gates at Thurmond sub-basin are currently undergoing repair on a number of areas where pitting has developed on the surface of the gates. The gates are armored with industrial grade coating, which typically lasts 30 years, to protect them … Continue reading

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Plant Vogtle water permit follows current basin water manual

Over the past several months the occasional fan of Balancing the Basin has voiced concern about the expansion of Plant Vogtle on the Savannah River. Most of the concern focused on the increased water needs (and impacts on reservoir levels) … Continue reading

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