We came up for the weekend only to find the lake is virtually gone! Hartwell is now over 21ft down from full pool and continues to drop. There is still about 46ft of usuable water in the lake (around the dam) but most the lake is closed to recreation. The is a small creek running where we normally have 8-10 feet of water. The lake passed it's all-time low on October 21st, 2008. Each day sets a new record. It will take years for Lake Hartwell to recover. Click on the pictures to get a better view. The lakebed is cracked and looks stable but don't try to walk on it. It is really about 2-3 feet of soft mud. As it bakes in the sun, it will soon be hard enough to walk on.
