Level of the Lake
updated 1:00 PM EDT

What 649.20 ft means on Hartwell Lake

We haven’t compiled ramp minimums for Hartwell Lake yet.

If you run a ramp or marina here and know a ramp’s lowest usable level, please send it to contact@handhewn.works. The level ranges and NWS stages below still apply.

What each level means

Approximate. Based on published thresholds (ramp minimums, full pool, spillway, records), but every cove is different.

  1. Lake flooding (NWS)above 665.00 ft

    Flood storage tops out at 665 ft, where NWS calls it flooding on the lake: minor at 665, moderate at 670, major at 680. The record is 665.40 ft (Apr 8, 1964); the lake gauge touched 665.03 ft on July 9, 2013. Expect heavy releases and flooded shoreline parks.

  2. Top of flood pool near663.00–665.00 ft

    At 663 ft (NWS action stage) the flood pool is nearly full; the lake crested just short of 665 at 664.93 ft in January 2016. Expect heavy releases and flooded shoreline parks.

  3. Above full pool661.00–663.00 ft

    More than a foot over 660 ft the Corps is storing floodwater; courtesy docks and low shoreline first to go under.

  4. Near full656.00–661.00 ft

    Between the winter guide curve (656 ft) and full pool (660 ft), and routinely a little over it: the lake's normal operating range.

  5. Below guide curve649.00–656.00 ftnow · 649.20 ft

    Docks on shallow coves start grounding and a few ramps get marginal.

  6. Drought drawdown643.00–649.00 ft

    Widespread cove and ramp impacts, like 2008.

  7. Near the record lowbelow 643.00 ft

    The all-time low is 637.49 ft (Dec 9, 2008).

NWS flood stages for the lake

NWS judges flooding on Hartwell Lake by the lake’s own level at gauge HWDS1.

Major flood680.00 ftModerate flood670.00 ftMinor flood665.00 ftNear flood663.00 ftFull pool660.00 ft647.00 ftnow · 649.20 ft

now = lake gauge · 1:00 PM EDT