Savannah, Ga -- SAVANNAH, Ga. – On Oct. 4, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, released the new Hartwell Lake Master Plan. The updated plan follows the previous master plan closely.
The Master Plan serves as a comprehensive land and recreational management plan, according to Sandy Campbell, the Natural Resource Program Manager at the Hartwell Dam and Lake Project. It guides the stewardship of natural and cultural resources and the provision of outdoor recreation facilities and opportunities to ensure sustainability of federal land associated with Hartwell Lake.
“The revised Hartwell Lake Master Plan is the accumulation of a tremendous amount of hard work by the Army Corps team, our partners, stakeholders and members of the public,” Campbell said. “The Corps of Engineers incorporated input from the public, including community members and area stakeholders, to ensure future management actions are both environmentally sustainable and responsive to public outdoor recreation needs.”
The completed Master Plan is available at https://go.usa.gov/xecXv.
The updated master plan contains an accompanying Environmental Assessment that assessed potential impacts of the revised Hartwell Lake Master Plan on the environment, resulting in a finding of no significant impact. The plan does not address water management in the reservoir, nor does it change shoreline management rules. The Corps updated the shoreline management plan in 2020.
A master plan does not appropriate funding for any improvements or developments, but effectively portrays where potential projects could be authorized if funding or a strategic partnership becomes available. Master Plans do not change the technical operations of a lake as related to their congressionally authorized project purposes.
“This revision is part of a larger, USACE-wide effort to bring master plans up to date across the country,” Campbell said
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Release no. 21-024