SAVANNAH, Ga. – The three reservoirs on the upper Savannah River Basin operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, declared the second flow reduction in less than two months in response to the pool elevation at Lake Thurmond dipping below Drought Trigger Level 2, Sunday, Jan. 24, 2026.
As of Jan. 28, 2026, the current pool elevations are 653.91 feet above mean sea level (ft-msl) for Lake Hartwell, and Lake Thurmond is at 322.05 ft-msl. The drought management plan was developed based on scientific data and in coordination with various state, federal, local agencies and public input. To view the chart for trigger action levels, visit Drought Trigger Action Levels. To view the plan, click Drought Plan.
The pool elevations at J. Strom Thurmond and Hartwell initially fell below Drought Trigger Level 1 Dec. 5, 2025. At that time flows were restricted to 4,200 cubic feet per second (cfs) at Thurmond. The Corps of Engineers limits outflow from Thurmond Dam to a daily average of 4,000 cfs after entering Drought Trigger Level 2.
Outflows will be further reduced to 3,800 cfs Feb. 1, 2026, due to the 28-day running average flow for the Broad River Gage falling below its 10th percentile. Reducing outflow decreases the amount of hydropower generated through the dams but conserves more water in the reservoirs.
From January through December 2025, rainfall totaled about 60% of the average for Hartwell and 56% for Thurmond. Hartwell Inflows have averaged 65% for the year, and 43% of average for the last five months. Thurmond Inflows have averaged 73% for the year, and 40% of average for the last five months. The National Weather Service is predicting below normal rainfall and temperatures across the basin for the next three months.
“Much of the latter half of last year’s inflows have declined well below normal.” said Craig Clarke, water manager for the Savannah District. “We will continue to maintain reduced releases in accordance with our Savannah River Basin Drought Management Plan. We anticipate a slight improvement through the spring.”
Corps officials urge boaters to use extreme caution when at the lakes. Rocks and tree stumps, normally deep underwater, are closer to the surface, some just out of sight, especially in coves and along the shoreline. Boaters should use the main channel whenever possible. All visitors should wear a life jacket whenever in, on or near the water.
Collectively, water from the three reservoirs is used or withdrawn by municipalities intakes (not released through the dam) at an average of 51.1 million gallons per day (MGD). Downstream users include the cities of Augusta and Savannah, in Georgia, and North Augusta and Jasper County, in South Carolina. Additionally, threatened and endangered species, as well as the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, depend on the river.
For more information on current lake levels and projections, visit the District’s lake-level website at Savannah District Water Management.
For information about boat ramp closures, visit Thurmond Boat Ramp Status and Hartwell Boat Ramp Status. Many campgrounds and day use areas are seasonally closed this time of year, however, Hester’s Ferry Campgrounds, Bussey Point primitive Campgrounds and Petersburg Campground sites 1-27 are open at Thurmond Lake and Twin Lakes Campground and Watsadler Campground are open on Hartwell Lake. Reservations can be made through the www.recreation.gov website, or by calling 877-833-6777.
For more information about drought conditions in the Savannah Basin, please visit our frequently asked questions page at: https://savannahcorps.wpcomstaging.com/
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ABOUT US: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, plays a major role in water resource projects throughout the region. The District operates three hydroelectric dam and reservoir projects on the Savannah River (Hartwell, Richard B. Russell, and J. Strom Thurmond); maintains the federal shipping channels at the Savannah and Brunswick harbors; and processes Regulatory (stream/wetland) permits for development projects within Georgia. The District also oversees a multi-million-dollar military construction program at 11 Army and Air Force installations in Georgia and North Carolina, providing expertise across a wide range of disciplines--from engineering, architecture and design to construction, master planning and environmental services.
Additionally, the District manages 164 Formerly Used Defense Sites projects in seven states.
Learn more at www.sas.usace.army.mil or use a smart phone camera on the QR code to visit our social media sites:
