The lack of rain in the upper Savannah River watershed, along with continuing declines in lake levels, has forced the Savannah District of the United States Army Corps of Engineers to restrict the water flow from the Hartwell and Thurmond dams.

The restricted flow began Monday, August 28, when Action Level 2 of the drought contingency plan was implemented.

The level at Hartwell Lake remained slightly above 654 feet above mean sea level (ft.-msl), almost six feet below its normal summer pool of 660 ft.-msl and 2.7 feet below its average of 657.20 for this time of the year. Whereas, Clark's Hill Lake receded to 323.9 ft.-msl, slightly more than six feet below normal summer pool.

Since April 1, when both lakes dropped below normal pool, the Savannah River Basin has been short 10.5 inches of rain - approximately 50 percent of normal.

At Action Level 2, under the curare rent drought contingency plan, the discharge from Thurmond Dam is reduced to a weekly average of 4,500 cubic feet per second. Flows from Hartwell and Russell lakes are adjusted to keep the pools in balance.

The lakes last reached Action Level 2 in August of 2001.

During the current drought, the lakes reached Action Level 1 on July 27 which initiated a public safety information campaign. There are no flow restrictions at Action Level 1.

Limiting flows from the dams reduces the amount of water available for power generation, which has prompted the Southeastern Power Administration (SEPA) to purchase electricity from other sources for its retail customers.

"The Southeastern Power Administration is the federal agency responsible for marketing the power generated by the corps projects in the southeast and does this through long-term contacts with area municipalities and electric cooperatives," said Carter B. Edge, lead power system operator for SEPA.

"Since early June, SEPA has provided an additional 25,727 MWH of system energy derived from pumped storage operations and 35,437 MWH of replacement energy to supplement generation at a cost of $5,238,195," Edge continued. "This cost is passed directly to the federal power customers and is for energy provided in lieu of generation at the corps projects. Without this support, the lake levels would be even lower than they are today."

Lower lake levels have also impacted recreation, leaving most designated swimming areas with no water and exposing stumps and rocks that normally deep underwater.

Marked boating channels remain safe, but boaters and swimmers should exercise extreme caution when venturing outside marked zones and when using boat ramps and docks. When outside marked zones, individuals should be on the lookout for obstructions such as shoals, stumps, rocks, etc. that may now be exposed or just beneath the surface. Swimmers should also be aware that drop-offs and unexpected changes in the depth of the water are frequent in areas outside the designated swimming areas.

"These dangers make the use of life jackets more important than ever - even critical," stated a corps spokesman. "Those out on the lake during the Labor Day weekend need to use extreme caution."

He went on to point out that dock owners will need to adjust their docks as the lakes continue to recede.

In other items of information, the corps announced that the following boat ramps on Clark's Hill Lake have been closed due to low water levels: Chamberlain's Ferry, Calhoun Falls, and the left lane of the ramp at the Broad River Campground.

Extended forecasts for the Savannah River Basin predict continued below normal rainfall.

According to corps hydrologists, the lake elevations for the Labor Day weekend are estimated as follows: Lake Hartwell, 653.8 ft.-msl. Clark's Hill Lake, 323.8 ft.-msl.

Lake Russell, 473 ft.-msl.

For current lake levels, visit the corps' website at http:// water.sas.usace.army.mil.