Effects of Reduced Controlled Releases from Lake Thurmond on Salinity Intrusion in the Lower Savannah River Estuary

If drought conditions persist in Georgia and South Carolina through 2008, the Savannah River Reservoirs may reach Level 4 of the Savannah River Drought Contingency Plan. Level 4 allows for a reduction of discharges from Thurmond Dam to the net tributary inflow to the reservoir. To decrease the effect of the reduced releases on downstream resources, a stepped approach is being proposed to reduce the flow in increments of 500 cubic feet per second (ft3/s)