Homeowners Voice Concerns as Lake Dries Up Around Them
When you purchase a home on a lake, you expect to be able to enjoy the water. Even if you can’t actually swim in it, just getting a chance to see the way it moves as the wind blows can be a soothing experience. But in one South Carolina town, homeowners are having quite the opposite experience.
The warm summer breeze has stopped causing ripples in the water since there’s barely any water left in Lake Hartwell. That’s because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has been limiting how much water the lake is allowed to hold due to issues with the Clemson Lower Diversion Dam Saddle Dike.
According to the USACE, the agency has issued level restrictions that are supposed to help prevent seepage deterioration. While the statement on the agency’s website says there’s no danger to the public, neighbors who live around the lake are upset about how the lower water levels are changing their experience living on the lake.
However, the USACE says that this situation is only temporary and that they are working to come up with a long-term solution that will allow the lake to return to its former levels.
The Challenges With Lake Hartwell Have Been Happening Since 2015
According to a press release published on Aug. 26, 2026, the USACE says that the issues with the Clemson Lower Diversion Saddle Dike have been going on for a while. But additional action items were brought to the USACE’s attention during a recent Dam Safety Program evaluation, which prompted them to further reduce the amount of water allowed to remain in Lake Hartwell after it rains.
While the USACE recognizes that these restrictions could cause disruptions to everything from recreation to hydropower stations, the agency believes they are necessary to protect the public.
“Safety is our priority,” Justin Nixon, the Savannah District’s Dam Safety Program manager, said in the press release. “The current condition of the Clemson Lower Diversion Dam Saddle Dike does not meet the USACE’s acceptable risk standards. These actions will help reduce risk while we develop and construct a permanent solution. Communities and the environment deserve a serious review.”
People Have Voiced Their Concerns About the Dried-Up Lake
When the USACE shared a Facebook post about the lake level restrictions at Hartwell Lake, people filled the comments with gripes about the situation. “If it takes 10 years (or more) to remedy this problem, that sounds like a pretty catastrophic financial impact for towns like Hartwell that depend on development and visitors that are attracted by the lake,” one person wrote.
“If y’all have known about this since 2015, why are we just hearing about this now,” another person wrote.
Meanwhile, those who live and dock their boats along the lake had other complaints for the USACE. “Those with docks like us in 6 [feet] of water at full pool are going to be struggling with our boat at full pool,” someone wrote, prompting a series of comments from other boaters and residents, including one person who said their dock has been dry since last fall.
Apparently, having your dock on dry land like this can cause issues for dock owners, according to the WaveLink Secure website. Some of the problems that could arise include changes to the pumping efficiency of water intake pumps and increased vegetation along the shoreline, which could allow invasive species to move in.
Of course, if the lake levels were to rise and the dam were to experience a catastrophic failure, that may be the worst of the two options. That being said, it sounds like residents in the area still have valid frustrations over how long this problem is taking to fix.
