Recent Rains Help Hartwell; Boaters Excited To Drop In

    Along with the strong winds we saw on Wednesday, we also had a good shot of rain that fell in the Upstate and Western North Carolina. Even though it wasn’t a huge rain event, it was enough to get the boaters happy at Lake Hartwell. While it is still well below full pool, the Army Corps of Engineers says it is slowly improving.
    They tell News Channel 7 the recent rain and the fact they are not letting any water downstream, allowed them to re-open a dozen boat ramps on the lake. With 962 miles of shoreline, businesses around the lake have already seen a spike in customers and expect a busy weekend from excited fishermen.
  The average elevation for Lake Hartwell this time of year is 655 feet. With the runoff and the recent rainfall, it now stands at 643 feet, up from just last week. In December, the lake was so low that it reached 637 feet, the lowest elevation on record. Since the beginning of this year, the lake has received close to four inches of the wet stuff. If you add that to the five inches that fell in December, you have some pretty happy boaters. The last time Lake Hartwell had levels this high was October of 2008.
    The Corps of Engineers wants to remind you to wear life vests and watch for hazards you may not have seen last week, but are now just below the surface.