Savannah Riverkeeper

08/31/2026

Lake Hartwell has a problem, and it isn’t going away anytime soon.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says worsening seepage at the Clemson Lower Diversion Dam Saddle D**e has prompted a new operating rule - Lake Hartwell’s target level will remain around 656 feet year-round. That is roughly four feet below the traditional summertime level.

There is no immediate threat of dam failure, officials say, but the problem is serious enough that a permanent repair could take five to ten years - or perhaps even longer.

For lake users, the difference will be notable. It will mean more exposed hazards, shallower boat ramps, perhaps docks sitting high and dry, and certainly swimming beaches that may become unusable.

It’s a reminder that reservoirs are not simply big swimming pools. They are engineered systems, and when the engineering starts to show its age, the consequences ripple outward to recreation, property owners, businesses and the environment.

Hartwell, it should be noted, is already low because of drought.

Now, when the rains do return, the expectation will not be for the lake to come all the way back to its old pool levels.

Four feet can make a surprisingly big difference.

08/27/2026

We are so fortunate to have Clöe Lemaire out there preaching the gospel of healthy ecosystems. You just cannot put a price on an engaging expert voice.

08/26/2026

The River Winds Through History

One of Savannah’s oldest stories is hiding in plain sight, all but unidentifiable to the naked eye.

The Bilbo Mound, tucked away in the wetlands between a golf course and the Savannah River reminds us that the history of river town often preceed their current incarnations.

Long before Savannah had streets, squares, ships or a name, Indigenous people were shaping the landscape. Archaeological evidence dates the Bilbo site to roughly 3,500 B.C. - more than 5,000 years ago. The site contains evidence of habitation, shell deposits, an artificial harbor, and some of the earliest known fiber-tempered pottery in the region.

There is something particularly Savannah about that. A city famous for its history has a story that makes the history we usually talk about seem positively recent.

The Bilbo Mound is also a reminder that the Savannah River has never simply been a backdrop. It has been highway, pantry, workplace, home and sacred landscape for thousands of years.

We'd do well to remember that when we talk about what belongs along the river today.

Some history is written in books. Some is written in brick.

And some is still sitting quietly beneath an innocuous dirt mound.

08/24/2026

In response to the recent alligator drama on the Savannah, we have made enquiries and received a few tips for any reluctant Gator Daters out there.

- Alligators are attracted to low frequency sounds, such as the thrum of a large engine. While swimming may not produce these sort of sounds, be aware of any noise that might while in the water.

- Alligators are attracted to the color white. They associate it with the stomach of a fish - a primary food source. People with pale skin should consider covering it with bright colors for easy visibility in the water and to keep any lurking alligators off the buffet line.

Stay safe out there and remember, swimming in the river means you are making yourself at home in their home.

08/24/2026

It's important to remember that the Savannah River is a living river.

The recent alligator attack is a sobering reminder that when we swim in the Savannah, we are entering an ecosystem - one inhabited by fish, turtles, snakes, birds, alligators and a thousand other things that have no particular interest in accommodating us.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy the river. Quite the opposite.

It does, however, mean we should respect it.

Pay attention when you are in the water. Focus on your surroundings. Understand that conditions can change quickly.

Remember that being in the Savannah means sharing the river with the creatures that were here long before we arrived.

A healthy river is a living river. Just remember you're a visitor.

08/24/2026

There are moments in water policy when you read something twice because you assume you misunderstood it.

This is one of those moments.

Demorest reportedly plans to use eminent domain to acquire about ten acres on Tallulah Lake for a water treatment facility to support growth in Demorest.

The problem? Demorest is in the Chattahoochee watershed. Tallulah Lake is in the Savannah River watershed.

So one watershed is being asked to surrender land and water to support development in another.

That raises some serious questions — particularly as the Upper Savannah continues to deal with water shortages and drought.

Georgia law recognizes the importance of interbasin water transfers. It also recognizes the importance of very careful consideration before such transfers are allowed.

The term 'voluntary' is being bandied about by Demorest. That certainly begs an important question: If eminent domain is involved, what exactly is voluntary about it?

Savannah Riverkeeper is asking Georgia EPD to take a hard look at the environmental, hydrologic and legal implications of this proposal.

The Tallulah becomes the Tugaloo. The Tugaloo becomes the Savannah.

What happens at Tallulah doesn't stay at Tallulah. And the river always keeps its receipts.

08/21/2026

The work we do on the river and watershed does not happen in a vacuum. Everything we do is, in no small part, accomplished because a partner has seen the value in our work. With that in mind, we would like to take a moment to thank the Courtney Knight Gaines Foundation for its continued support of our trash trap program in Savannah. That community, and the river, are cleaner and healthier because of the support.

08/20/2026

There’s a question worth asking in Demorest: How far should a city be allowed to reach for water?

The city is considering using eminent domain to acquire private property in Tallulah Falls adjacent to the old rail bridge for a proposed water treatment plant. That means property owners could lose land for a project being pursued by a city in another community - and another county - while plans for a trail incorporating the remains of the bridge are foiled.

Water infrastructure matters. So do property rights, local control and the health of the Tallulah Lake watershed.

Before anyone reaches for the power of eminent domain, the public deserves to know exactly why this land is necessary, what the project will mean for the lake and surrounding community, and who ultimately benefits.

Because when it comes to water, the question isn't simply who gets it?

It's who gets to decide?

There will be a public hearing regarding these moves at the Demorest City Municipal Building, 250 Alabama Street in Demorest, Georgia at 7 p.m. September 16. We suggest anyone concerned with how eminent domain is activated and for what reasons attend.

08/19/2026

Sometimes questions of responsibility just sort of...grow.

Right now, a dense and quickly expanding raft of water hyacinth is making its way from one side of the river to the other at Augusta’s New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam. While navigating the locks is no longer much of an issue, those who fish these waters have begun to express concern about the invasive plant.

The question is: Who is responsible?

Is it Augusta’s Parks and Recreation Department, which maintains the park? Is it the Corps of Engineers, which manages the river? Is it Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources? South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources?

This is what we do know. Plants are decidedly apolitical. So while the discussion over responsibility may continue, the plants will not waiting for an answer.

They will continue to grow, choking the river just a little bit more with each passing day.

08/19/2026

The River Winds Through History

Some roads are just roads. Others tell you where you came from.

For 28 years, the Savannah River National Scenic Byway has been one of those things that officially existed but mostly went about its business without making much noise.

Now Anderson County wants to wake it back up.

The 110-mile route runs along South Carolina’s western edge, from Oconee County to Clarks Hill, passing through the lake country, small communities, historic places, forests, fishing grounds and the great dams that changed the Savannah River forever. About 40 miles of it runs through Anderson County.

And there’s the part worth remembering: the river hasn’t gone anywhere.

What disappeared was our attention.

Maybe that’s why this revival matters. Not because South Carolina needs another sign beside a highway, but because sometimes the best way to appreciate a place is to slow down long enough to notice it.

The Savannah River has been doing its job for a very long time.

It’s nice to see somebody finally put up a sign pointing that out.

Read more about it in this great Anderson Observer piece by Greg Wilson

Designated in 1998 as a 110-mile National Scenic Byway, the route runs from Oakway/SC-24 near SC-11 in Oconee County to Clarks Hill, near the Georgia border, following South Carolina’s western edge through lake country, rural communities, dam sites, historic towns, and the larger landscape shaped ...