U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Clemson working together to reinforce Clemson dams

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), in coordination with Clemson University officials, are working on dam safety related to the Clemson Lower Diversion Dam Saddle Dike on Hartwell Lake in response to a recent periodic assessment.

In the coming weeks, activity on the saddle dike will be necessary for further investigations and assessment. Clemson University officials are working closely with the USACE to coordinate activity and minimize disruptions to the area.

Background

When the construction of dams containing Hartwell Lake began in 1961, Clemson University was home to 4,104 students and approximately 1,500 residents. Today, the area is home to more than 23,000 students and 17,000 residents. Over the past nearly 70 years, development, and growth of both the University and the surrounding area has increased the impact of any possible flooding from Lake Hartwell.

The USACE conducts periodic assessments as a cornerstone of the nationwide dam safety risk management process. As part of its most recent assessment, the Clemson Diversion Dams, specifically the Saddle Dike portion, was deemed to require additional investigations and assessment to increase the degree of confidence of future recommendations.

Impact

The USACE, in coordination with Clemson officials, has increased monitoring and evaluation, including upcoming soil boring sampling operations at multiple locations of the saddle dike for the first three weeks of August 2024. With the current access restrictions of the saddle dike area due to the construction of the Alumni and Visitors Center, no additional restrictions are required. Continued operations will likely result in necessary access restrictions of the area following the completion of construction.

The University along with the USACE, Pickens County, Oconee County, South Carolina Emergency Management, and others recently conducted the Clemson Dam Safety Exercise, an exercise required every two years as part of the dam safety and risk management program, to update emergency plans and will continue to revise, update, and inform as those plans are continuously developed.