Associations discuss lake levels

Attendance turnout was high as the Hart County Property Owners Association (HCPOA) hosted the Lake Hartwell Association (LHA) on the evening of Jan. 15. HCPOA members, LHA members, lakefront property owners, and other community members gathered to hear LHA Vice President Terry Jackson’s presentation on LHA and its work, as well as topics such as recent lake levels. County commissioner Joey Dorsey, Hartwell city councilman Tray Hicks, chief magistrate Thomas Jordan, and Board of Elections chairman Garry Hamilton were also present.

After HCPOA president Bill Fogerty presented the list of recommended officers for 2024, which was approved, he invited the officers who were still relatively new to the Association to introduce themselves to attendees. Lowell Macher will now take Fogerty’s place as president of the Association.

Fogerty then introduced Jackson as the guest speaker. Jackson, who introduced himself as the LHA’s “main liaison to the Corps [of Engineers],” mentioned the increase in the number of dock permits over the past few years, which reflect the growing amount of people living on the lake while the number of Corps officers stays the same, leading to understaffing. He encouraged the audience to know the shoreline management plan and talked about lake cleanup efforts, which are typically held twice per year by the LHA. Volunteers are needed for these activities (LHA membership is not required for cleanup efforts).

Lake cleanup volunteers are needed not only for beautification purposes, but also for general cleanliness and safety. Jackson touched on the importance of managing dock floats, which weigh hundreds of pounds and are not easily disposed of. These types of cleanup efforts take more planning and cooperation.

“[Dock floats] are absolutely going to kill someone someday, and that’s why we need to do something about it,” Jackson said. “It would be a big effort, lake-wide…a coordinated event, because the Corps has to be involved…it’s a big deal.”

Jackson also addressed lake levels and drought levels, which many lakefront property owners were concerned about (The Sun reported Dec. 28 it had been in Drought Level 2; as of a LHA press release this week, it has returned to Level 1 due to heavy rainfall). He explained that lack of rainfall, as well as factors such as evaporation, contribute to low levels. Every week, the Corps publishes a chart about lake levels in the Savannah River Basin, including Lake Hartwell. Jackson explained how to interpret the data and its usefulness, especially for lakefront property owners who may need to move their docks depending on lake levels. (This chart can be found on the Corps of Engineers’ website under “Current Lake Levels” in the “Hartwell Dam and Lake” section.)

However, he also stated how the recent low lake levels were not unique to Lake Hartwell, emphasizing that “there’s a lot more than Lake Hartwell at play here when [the Corps] look[s] at managing the lake. It’s this whole basin all the way down to Savannah…So [all the lakes in the Savannah River Basin] all come into play.”

The LHA seeks general membership as well as people to fill specific board positions, such as social media management, lake level planning, public relations, and sponsorship recruitment.

Jackson, an Anderson County resident, encouraged the audience to get involved with the LHA and sign up to join. He stated the South Carolina side of the LHA is more well-staffed and that they need more help and insight from Georgians.

“We need you guys to help feed us information; be a member or somehow involved,” Jackson stated. “If there’s something we need to be aware of, bring it to our attention. I think we do a pretty good job of watching stuff on the South Carolina side…we’re not as good on the Georgia side and we need help…it’s certainly not deliberate. It’s a Lake Hartwell Association. It’s both states.”

During a brief Q&A session, a concerned woman asked about cleanliness on the lake’s islands, as Lake Hartwell is one of the only Corps lakes that allows camping on the islands (Lake Lanier, for example, does not). She stated that campers use makeshift toilets and leave them and their contents behind, for volunteers to later clean up. She suggested putting signs on each island saying camping was not allowed. Jackson stated that he would talk to the Corps about it and ask about the possibility of implementing this, but clarified that it would have to be at the Corps’ national level.

The HCPOA’s next meeting will be Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.