J. Strom Thurmond Dam & Lake Operations & Maintenance

PROJECT NAME AND STATE:  J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake, GA and SC
                  
AUTHORIZATION:  Flood Control Act of 1944

SUMMARIZED FINANCIAL DATA

O&M

Allocation for FY 2020

$11,093,000

Allocation for FY 2021

$10,282,000

Allocation for FY 2022

$11,206,000

Supplemental Funds (IIJA) for 2022 $1,551,000

 President's Budget for FY 2023

$11,626,000

Supplemental Funds (IIJA) for 2023 $615,000

 

LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION:  J. Strom Thurmond dam, completed in 1954, is located 22 miles north of Augusta, Georgia in Clarks Hill, South Carolina, and consists of a 2,282-foot long, 200-foot high concrete section, and a controlled spillway, 1,096 feet long. It provides a total storage of 2,900,000 acre-feet. The authorized project purposes include hydropower, flood control, recreation, water supply/water quality, fish and wildlife, and navigation (no longer operated for navigation as there is no commercial traffic). The multi-purpose project’s 80,000 acres of land, 70,000 acres of water, and 1,200 miles of shoreline inhabit seven counties in Georgia and South Carolina.  
                      
ACTIVITIES FOR FY 2023:  Funds are being used for commonly performed O&M work including inspections and surveys.
                    
ACTIVITIES FOR IIJA/BIL for FY 2023: Funds are being used to replace spillway gate controls, replace and upgrade piezometers, replace fence around old rock quarry, update water control manual, and survey cultural resources below full pool.

ACTIVITIES FOR FY 2024:  Funds will be used for commonly performed O&M work. Funds will also be used for specific work activities including assessments and cultural site eligibility determination.

ACTIVITIES FOR IIJA/BIL for FY 2024: Funds will be used to complete replacement of the spillway gate controls.
                
ISSUES AND OTHER INFORMATION:  Thurmond is one of the most visited projects in the nation. The project served 4.3M visitors in FY 2022 and collected recreation user fee revenues of $1.4M which were returned to the United States Treasury. The project supplied 7 communities with water. The J. Strom Thurmond Power Plant produced 738,455 megawatt hours in FY 2022, returning $22M in revenue to the United States Treasury. J. Strom Thurmond project prevented an estimated $242M in cumulative flood damages from 1955 to date. Timber harvested on project lands provided $774K in revenues in FY 2022.

ADMINISTRATION POSITION:  Project is consistent with current Administration policy.
                       
ACTION OFFICER:  Spencer W. Davis                               24 April 2023
                                   CESAS/912-652-5195