Facts and Figures

 

  • When the reservoir is at full summer pool (elevation 660 ft. msl), it covers nearly 56,000 acres. Approximately 24,000 acres of public land surrounds the lake. The lake has 962 miles of shoreline.   
  • The generator rotors, which are turned by the turbines, are 30 feet in diameter and weigh 300 tons each. They are the heaviest part of a generator unit.   
  • The penstocks are 214 ft. long, made of boilerplate steel, and are 24 ft. in diameter. Water flows through the penstocks at a rate of 2 – 3 million gallons per minute.   
  • It takes 138,000 gallons of insulating and lubricating oil to operate the generators. The oil is continuously recycled inside the powerplant, saving millions of dollars each year.   
  • Hartwell Dam is built of more than 880,000 cubic yards of concrete and more than 3 million pounds of reinforcing steel.   
  • The depth of the lake behind the dam is approximately 180 feet.   
  • The top of the dam is 204 feet above the Savannah River Bed.

LOCATION:
89 miles above Augusta
67 miles above Thurmond Dam
7.1 miles below confluence of Seneca and Tugaloo Rivers

DRAINAGE BASIN AREAS:
above the mouth of the Savannah River 10,579 sq. mi.
above Augusta, GA 7,508 sq. mi.
above Hartwell Dam 2,088 sq. mi.

RESERVOIR:
Top of Power Pool 660 ft.-msl 2,549,600 Ac-Ft 55,950 Acres
Top of Flood Control Pool 665 ft.-msl 2,842,700 Ac-Ft
Top of Dam 679 ft.-msl
Conservation Pool 1,415,500 Ac-Ft 461,170 Million Gal. (461,170,000,000)
Flood Control Pool 293,100 Ac-Ft 95,492 Million Gal. (95,492,000,000)
Water Supply Available (50000 Ac-Ft/1,415,000)*3117 cfs = 110.14 cfs = 71.18 MGD

DAM LENGTHS:
Concrete Section 1,900 ft.
Earth Embankments & Saddle Dike 17,852 ft.

SPILLWAY:
Type: Concrete Gravity
Gross Length 568.00 ft.
Clear Opening Length 480.00 ft.
Tainter Gates 12, 40 ft. X 35.5 ft.
Type of Bucket Flip
Radius of Bucket 30.00 ft.
Powerhouse Length 340.00 ft.

QUANTITIES:
Concrete 975,100 cu-yd
Compacted Fill 4,342,300 cu-yd
Excavation Borrow 5,251,600 cu-yd
Excavation Common 93,900 cu-yd
Excavation Rock 244,200 cu-yd
Rock Toe 33,100 cu-yd
Riprap and Filter 168,400 cu-yd

HYDROPOWER:
Number 5 units
Diameter 24.0 ft.
Spacing 68.0 ft.
Max Velocity 15.25 ft./sec.

GENERATORS:
Installed Capacity 4 Units at 85 MW 1 Unit at 80 MW
Gross Static Head 192 ft.
Average Head 171 ft.
Minimum Head 142 ft.
Generator Bay Floor Elev. 516.0 ft.-msl
Turbine Axis 484.0 ft.-msl