LETTER FROM SAVE OUR LAKES NOW TO SHANE MASSEY, MAJORITY LEADER OF SC SENATE

Shane,

I recognize there are many issues you are burdened with but I can think of none that is more important to your constituency than getting the Corps management of Lake Thurmond straightened out.  Save Our Lakes Now has finally killed all the lies and excuses the Corps used to use as to why they follow the current drought plan.  We are now down to one excuse they use to destroy our lakes every couple of years.  They claim they have to meet their power quotas which is not true.  We’ve talked to top officials with SEPA who insist we keep their names confidential for obvious reasons and they assure us that any time we reduce Lake Thurmond releases to 3600cfs they are fine because they have many sources for power to their grid at basically the same price to the end user. To a large extent the rural communities you are associated with are starving because of the failure of the Corps to maintain reasonable control of lake levels. Instead of the explosive growth normally associated with recreational areas there is absolutely no growth occurring for the communities around Lake Thurmond.

We need to stop fooling around with the Corps and demand that they reduce releases from Thurmond to 3600cfs anytime they are unable to hold the lakes at full pool  We also need to talk to DNR about decreasing waste releases from the Augusta factories and businesses along the Savannah so we can drop even lower in release rates.  What the DNR and the Corps are not telling you is that water users such as Savannah have ways to live with release rates even lower than 3600cfs. They already plan to build a reservoir at Savannah for reasons other than water supply which would permit living with lower release quantities from the standpoint of water supply at times of drought. And lower release limits for the plants along the Savannah would permit release rates even lower than 3600cfs from the standpoint of water quality.  I am a Chemical Engineer and fully familiar with reducing waste levels for chemical processes. Basically we were always able to reduce effluent wastes when asked to do so.

You may feel this is outside your authority. But I feel certain demands from the state of SC for changes to the drought plan for the Savannah River Basin would get the attention of congress.  This is especially true right now as the new administration takes office.

Jerry Clontz

Save Our Lakes Now

803-648-9864