Oconee and Pickens Counties Escalate to Moderate Drought Status

Oconee and Pickens Counties have been upgraded from incipient to moderate drought status, as determined by a statewide committee evaluating agricultural, water supply, and fire conditions. Since August 11, many areas have received less than 1.5 inches of rain, worsening dry conditions despite relief from earlier flooding. Hydrologist Scott Harder of the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services reports that streamflow levels in the Upper Savannah basin are critically low, affecting the Chattooga River, Twelve Mile Creek, and Little River, with declining levels in Lake Hartwell, Lake Thurmond, and Lake Jocassee. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in a Level 1 drought stage, while Duke Energy’s Keowee-Toxaway Project is in Stage 1 drought.