1929–present

USGS's daily record at the dam begins in August 1929, as Saluda Dam began holding water. The first year of filling is left off the chart and the comparison, just as for the 1941 record low. Lake Murray has ranged over 40.24 vertical feet, from a record low of 321.16 ft (Dec 23, 1941) to a record high of 361.40 ft (Apr 10, 1936). Today's 355.62 ft is higher than 60% of the 1,154 monthly averages since 1930.

Lake elevation history, monthly, Aug 1930 to Sep 2026, today 355.62 ft, full pool 360.00 ft, lowest 321.16 ft in Dec 1941, highest 361.40 ft in Apr 1936. Yearly summary of the monthly record.
Year	Mean (ft)	Low (ft)	High (ft)
1930	328.71	322.30	337.20
1931	334.38	323.40	341.70
1932	346.82	332.50	354.40
1933	347.03	323.20	359.20
1934	334.95	322.00	347.80
1935	339.77	327.40	348.80
1936	348.73	327.90	361.40
1937	344.85	329.70	355.00
1938	336.31	329.80	343.50
1939	341.46	325.71	354.00
1940	338.72	325.98	346.42
1941	337.94	321.16	346.30
1942	340.52	323.51	350.37
1943	344.56	332.28	351.74
1944	345.76	333.80	355.05
1945	344.00	337.69	348.50
1946	352.49	340.30	360.03
1947	351.05	340.20	356.42
1948	355.64	348.96	360.10
1949	357.45	350.18	359.97
1950	348.52	339.42	352.79
1951	337.86	326.94	345.54
1952	344.07	326.75	357.12
1953	338.24	325.55	348.26
1954	340.20	330.65	347.67
1955	337.22	332.10	343.73
1956	345.85	332.13	351.89
1957	351.30	344.64	357.75
1958	351.50	344.38	357.81
1959	352.84	343.99	357.88
1960	354.81	349.34	358.68
1961	353.84	347.20	358.74
1962	353.76	347.28	358.24
1963	353.15	347.09	358.57
1964	355.02	347.69	359.98
1965	353.51	346.52	359.97
1966	353.44	347.58	357.34
1967	353.78	351.32	357.57
1968	353.97	350.63	358.13
1969	355.02	350.05	359.96
1970	354.21	350.50	357.17
1971	355.90	351.90	359.40
1972	355.13	351.20	359.43
1973	355.55	352.29	358.83
1974	354.46	350.20	357.90
1975	354.62	347.73	358.65
1976	354.98	350.00	358.80
1977	353.52	350.93	357.20
1978	354.29	350.60	358.20
1979	355.17	350.69	358.90
1980	355.13	350.97	359.00
1981	354.55	350.05	357.24
1982	356.29	353.40	358.86
1983	354.87	349.90	358.91
1984	355.65	352.02	358.95
1985	355.14	352.35	356.90
1986	354.95	351.59	356.98
1987	355.19	351.28	358.06
1988	355.16	351.38	356.99
1989	356.31	352.35	358.78
1990	353.08	344.73	359.21
1991	354.84	347.91	358.57
1992	355.39	352.00	358.52
1993	354.80	350.27	358.22
1994	355.28	350.21	358.60
1995	355.61	351.59	357.89
1996	352.67	344.73	358.21
1997	354.92	348.86	358.46
1998	355.28	350.04	358.45
1999	354.96	349.99	357.85
2000	355.00	350.24	357.72
2001	354.35	349.97	358.12
2002	352.87	345.92	357.41
2003	346.05	345.12	347.88
2004	349.40	345.77	354.54
2005	356.10	353.41	358.20
2006	351.01	348.00	356.35
2007	355.12	351.96	357.59
2008	356.47	352.70	358.78
2009	357.43	355.04	359.08
2010	357.23	354.71	358.69
2011	356.52	354.52	358.57
2012	356.70	355.30	357.85
2013	356.80	350.01	358.70
2014	357.24	352.82	358.59
2015	357.52	355.79	359.65
2016	356.19	353.91	359.77
2017	356.48	354.37	358.51
2018	356.13	350.00	358.35
2019	356.09	349.87	358.39
2020	356.86	354.07	358.88
2021	357.10	354.06	358.49
2022	356.10	350.01	358.89
2023	355.94	350.07	358.99
2024	357.38	354.47	359.12
2025	357.35	355.26	358.94
2026	356.35	355.43	357.70

Monthly mean (line) with monthly min–max band. Dashed teal line = full pool (360.00 ft).

Record high

361.40 ft

Apr 10, 1936

Record low

321.16 ft

Dec 23, 1941

1996 deep drawdown low

344.73 ft

Oct 4, 1996

Full pool

360.00 ft

conservation pool

Daily values shown as monthly min, mean and max. Lake level and streamflow from USGS (Saluda Hydro project data courtesy of Dominion Energy, FERC P-516); reference elevations from FERC/Dominion published records; lake facts from SCDNR. Levels on the Saluda plant datum (full pond 360 ft). Historical daily values are agency-reviewed; recent values are provisional.