Heavy Rain Halts Thurmond Dam Outflow

Due to heavy rain that fell all day Friday into Saturday, officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over the weekend moved to close Thurmond Dam in east Georgia. Corps officials in a press release said abundant rains in the upper Savannah River Basin including significant rain in the Stevens Creek sub-basin directly below Thurmond, spuured the move to stop outflows. Officials say they will evaluate river flow early today to determine when outflows from Thurmond Lake will resume.

Georgia asks for reduction of flows from Savannah River

The state of Georgia is asking that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reduce the amount of flow from the Savannah River downstream from Thurmond Dam.

The river stretches along the Georgia-South Carolina border.

Officials would lower the flow to 3100 cubic feet per second. The current flow, 3600 cubic feet per second, is the minimum allowed by both states. South Carolina "concurs" with Georgia's request, according to a Corps spokesman.

The reduction would conserve water in the three reservoirs there, reservoirs which are greatly depleted by the ongoing drought, say officials.

If approved by the Corps, the reduction would happen from November through February.

Officials expect that the drought in the Augusta area will worsen sometime next year unless there is a sustained period of rain.

The Corps is conducting an expedited environmental assessment, and is seeking public comment on the matter by October 27.

For more information, go to www.sas.usace.army.mil.