The gates at the Santee Spillway were closed on the afternoon of Sunday, Jan. 17.
Prolonged rainfall throughout its watershed, combined with spilling operations from upstream reservoirs, brought increased inflows to the Santee Cooper Lakes system.
Santee Cooper initiated the spill on Dec. 25, 2015, at a rate of 20,000 cubic feet of water per second (cfs) and increased to a peak of 90,000 cfs on Jan. 4 before tapering it off.
The 3,400-foot Santee Spillway is part of 40 miles of dams and dikes around lakes Marion and Moultrie. Spilling is a normal part of Santee Cooper’s hydroelectric operations in periods of escalated inflows, and Santee Cooper’s dams and dikes were secure throughout.
The Santee Cooper Lakes are part of a 15,000 square-mile watershed that stretches into North Carolina. It’s the second largest watershed east of the Mississippi River.
Information on the Santee Cooper Lakes is updated each business day on the lakes information line: 1-800-92LAKES.
Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s largest power producer, the largest Green Power generator and the ultimate source of electricity for 2 million people across the state. Through its low-cost, reliable and environmentally responsible electricity and water services, and through innovative partnerships and initiatives that attract and retain industry and jobs, Santee Cooper powers South Carolina. To learn more, visit www.santeecooper.com.
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