Lake boat ramps open after winter rains raise water levels

Rainfall in December and January brought upstate reservoirs up several feet, enabling the Army Corps of Engineers to reopen more than 30 boat ramps at Lake Hartwell and Thurmond Lake.

Rainfall since Jan. 1 has totaled 4.15 inches at Hartwell and 2.23 inches at Thurmond Lake, according to corps spokeswoman Jeanne Hodge.

Part of the corps’ strategy to maximize the benefits of the recent rains included stopping all flows out of Hartwell after the heavy rains in an effort to keep the reservoirs in a better balance. Currently, Thurmond is 13.7 feet below its full pool of 330 feet above sea level, and Hartwell is 15.03 feet below its full pool of 660 feet above sea level.

In December, Hartwell fell to 637.49 feet above sea level, its lowest elevation on record, and has since risen 7.48 feet.

Boat ramps recently reopened at Hartwell include: Asbury, Big Oaks (right lane), Broyles (middle lane), Camp Creek, Choestoea, Coneross, Crawfords Ferry, Double Springs, Duncan Branch, 18 Mile Creek, Elrod Ferry, Fairplay, Friendship (right lane), Glenn Ferry, Green Pond, Gum Branch, Hattons Ford, Jenkins Ferry, Martin Creek, New Prospect, Paynes Creek, Poplar Springs (right lane), Richland Creek, River Forks (left lane), Rock Springs, and Singing Pines.

Thurmond Lake ramps currently open are: Amity, Big Hart, Cherokee, Clarks Hill Park, Dordon Creek, Gill Point, Key Creek, Lake Springs, Leathersville, Modoc, Morrahs, Mount Carmel day use, Parksville, Petersburg, and Scotts Ferry. Extensions and repairs were also made at Mount Carmel day use, Rosseau Creek, Dordon Creek, Mount Pleasant and Cherokee. Ramp extensions were completed at Amity, Cherokee, Chamberlain Ferry, Leroys Ferry, Double Branches and Modoc Campground. Also, a second lane was added at Modoc 7 boat ramp in anticipation of a significant increase in boat launching activity when parking lot renovations and a new waterborne restroom are completed as part of the new oxygenation system planned to begin this spring at this location.