Lake Hartwell lake and shoreline

Lake Hartwell Water Level

GeorgiaSouth Carolina

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Alert details

Lake Hartwell

Lake Hartwell is currently 11.0 feet below full pool and 7.0 feet below today's temporary operating target, with a water-surface elevation of 649.0 feet.

648.99 ft · Updated 4 hours ago · NOAA / National Weather Service — Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service

Current level

648.99ft

−7.01 ft vs current operating target

Low

Vs current operating target

Since last reading

Up 0.05 ft

Previous readingOct 7648.91 ft

7-day change

Down 0.10 ft

7-day trend: Falling

8 daily readings in the last 7 days

30-day change

Down 1.30 ft

30 daily readings in the last 30 days

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Water Level History

Current
648.99 ft
24h
+0.05 ft
7d
-0.10 ft
30d
-1.30 ft

Elevation (ft) NGVD29 · MSL

Solid reference is today's current operating target. The dashed line is designed full pool.

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Lake Level Context

Level remains below the current operating target

Lake Hartwell is currently 648.99 ft, 7.01 ft below its current operating target. The lake has fallen 0.10 ft over the past 7 days and 1.30 ft over the past 30 days.

Lake Hartwell Level Details

Reference elevations, recent daily readings, data sources, and answers to common questions.

Conditions & Reference

Level status

11.01 ft below full pool

Current level
648.99 ft
Full pool
660 ft
DatumElevation referenced to National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.
NGVD29
Elevation reference
MSL
Source
NOAA / NWS

Reference levels

  • Current operating target656 ft
  • Full pool660 ft
  • Flood stage665 ft
  • Temporary max662 ft

Temporary operating target effective Aug 24, 2026

Surrounding county drought

Moderate Drought

90.8% of surrounding county in official drought (D1–D4).

Severity

NoneExtreme
Trend
Worsening

Surrounding county drought

Anderson County, SC

Moderate Drought

Moderate Drought. The largest share of Anderson County, SC is in Moderate Drought (D1), an official USDM drought category. These figures describe the surrounding county from the lake location, not the lake itself.. Trend: Worsening compared with last week. Official drought (D1–D4) yes

Severity

NoneExtreme

Weekly trend

Worsening

Compared with last week

Official drought (D1–D4)

Yes

90.8% of the surrounding county is in official drought categories (D1–D4). Dominant category remains Moderate Drought.

Typical county impacts (USDM guidance)

  • Streamflows in the surrounding county may run below normal
  • Soils and vegetation can dry between rain events
  • Water managers may begin to watch supply more closely

U.S. Drought Monitor · map date Oct 6, 2026. Updated weekly. Official drought means U.S. Drought Monitor categories D1–D4 (Moderate through Exceptional). Abnormally Dry (D0) is not counted as official drought. droughtmonitor.unl.eduView drought map for Anderson County, SC

Daily level summary

DateLevelChange
Oct 8, 2026648.96+0.05
Oct 7, 2026648.91-0.07
Oct 6, 2026648.98-0.12
Oct 5, 2026649.1-0.15
Oct 4, 2026649.25+0.02
Oct 3, 2026649.23+0.05
Oct 2, 2026649.18+0.12

Common questions about Lake Hartwell’s water level

  • The current water level at Lake Hartwell is 648.99 ft (updated 4 hours ago). You can track the Lake Hartwell lake level on the interactive chart and daily history above.

  • Today's current operating target for Lake Hartwell is 656 ft. The temporary maximum is 662 ft. USACE Savannah District dam-safety restriction at Clemson Lower Diversion Dam Saddle Dike: year-round operating (guide-curve) target 656 ft MSL until a Dam Safety Modification Study and construction are complete (anticipated 5–10 years). Designed full pool remains 660 ft. Temporary maximum 662 ft MSL.

  • Full pool for Lake Hartwell is 660 ft — the designed conservation / summer pool. Today's current operating target is 656 ft.

  • Based on the latest gauge reading, Lake Hartwell is currently 11.01 ft below full pool and 7.01 ft below today's temporary operating target.

Lake level glossary

Definitions for pool targets, datums, and how elevation readings are labeled.

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