Water Quality Studies: Hartwell Lake 1993-1994 Summary Report.

Hartwell (HW) Lake, completed in 1962, is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment located on the Savannah River along the Georgia/South Carolina border. HW Lake has a surface area of 22,400 ha and provides hydroelectric power production, flood control, water supply, and recreational usage. HW Lake is one of the top three most visited Corps of Engineers lakes in the nation, attracting 14 million visitors annually. Water quality concerns at HW Lake, including formation of hypolimnetic anoxia and its effects on lake and release water quality and fish distribution, were addressed during 1991 and 1992. These investigations continued during 1993 and 1994. Major objectives were as follows: (a) Describe longitudinal water quality trends from the forebay region into the upper Seneca River tributary embayment during both the stratified (spring-summer) and mixed (late fall-winter) periods. (b) Compare and contrast temporal water quality trends of the near-dam stations (depth >30 m) with those in the Seneca River embayment (depth <:30 m) during both stratified and mixed periods. (c) Assess the onset, formation, progression, and extent of hypolimnetic anoxia through HW Lake during the study period. (d) Monitor release water quality in the Richard B. Russell Lake headwaters through monthly forebay and continuous tailrace sampling at HW Dam. (e) Provide recommendations regarding current and future water quality sampling on HW Lake for the purpose of documenting lake and release water quality conditions.
Prepared in collaboration with DynTel Corp., Vicksburg, MS.