The Corps of Engineers coordinates water management efforts with federal and state natural resource agencies to balance the needs of the Savannah River's upstream and downstream users. The Savannah District's water management plan and drought plan were coordinated with input from these agencies, and we continue to consult them in our daily operations. Our water managers constantly monitor and adjust outflows from the three reservoirs to balance various needs. We often receive questions about our management of the reservoirs and want to share the answers with you in our recently-updated Frequently Asked Questions. READ MORE...

Nationwide, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have a long history of working together to address water resource issues. Those issues are not unique to any one region.  In most cases, it comes down to an equitable sharing of limited amounts of water and how that lack of quantity will affect the quality of life for the consumers.

... When the Service is asked to provide input to the Corps regarding operations of the Savannah River projects, we base our comments and recommendations on the best science we have. That science includes years of studies on the flora and fauna that inhabit the Savannah River Basin. READ MORE...

... The damming of most Piedmont rivers to supply important hydroelectric power and water supply storage for the public have reduced ocean-river migratory fish populations, and significantly affected riverine, estuarine, and ocean ecosystems. Many commercial and recreational fisheries and wildlife populations have reduced significantly as a result of the decline of ocean-river fish migrations in the Savannah River.

Balancing the flow carefully in the Savannah River is very important for protection and restoration of ocean, estuarine and riverine ecosystems, fisheries, and wildlife populations. Available rocky shoal spawning habitat has reduced by more than 95 percent due to blockage of upstream migrations. Carefully regulating Savannah River flows to important remaining spawning and maturation habitats is critical for protection of all species, particularly shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon. READ MORE...

... EPA oversees states in their implementation of the Clean Water Act. Each surface water body is designated by its benefits, such as: fishing, recreation, public water supply, agriculture, industrial use or navigation. Each benefit has corresponding criteria to ensure that the water is biologically healthy and doesn't have excessive levels of toxins or other pollutants.

For example, to protect fisheries, both Georgia and South Carolina require an average of 5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved oxygen in their freshwaters - and 6 mg/L in trout streams. EPA continually conducts and provides states the latest water quality research. Additionally, the agency assists states in permitting wastewater discharges, managing storm water runoff and provides financing for municipal treatment facilities. READ MORE...

In each issue of Balancing the Basin, we provide the latest drought monitoring forecast that shows various drought conditions along the Savannah River Basin. This information is updated weekly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, NOAA, and other government agencies. The data on this website is updated every Thursday morning. VIEW MAP & READ MORE...