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Construction activity on Lake Murray has prompted some to ask a simple question: What is going on?
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The lake has 223-foot-high intake towers, which are visible while driving across the dam. These towers supply water to the Lower Saluda River through power-generating turbines and are an essential part of shutting off the flow of water.
These towers are getting a facelift, and now it’s nearly done.
The project has gone on for nearly three years with minimal disruption to Lake Murray Dam access. Swimming, boating and beaching have continued each spring and summer, with some restrictions here and there.
However, a crane on a barge headed back to shore may have renewed curiosity about it, Dominion Energy spokesman Matt Long said. Dominion owns and operates Lake Murray.
When Dominion Energy announced the work in 2023, the company said the towers’ restoration was part of a multi-year project at the Lake Murray Dam, to extend operations of infrastructure used to generate power for customers and supply water to the Lower Saluda River.
In a 2023 news release, Iris Griffin, vice president of generation for Dominion Energy South Carolina, thanked the public for their patience and acknowledged the potential for inconvenience.
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“These headgates have done their job safely and successfully for nearly 100 years,” Griffin said in a news release. “Investing in their replacement will enhance the reliability of the Saluda Hydro facility’s operations to help serve our customers for many years to come.”
Dominion had no plans to lower the water level of the lake for the project, officials said. Work is still scheduled to continue through 2026. The towers will maintain their same look once work is complete.
Until the project is complete, Long said the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department will continue to enforce an “exclusion zone” around the towers — an area which lake goers must avoid.
“For their safety and the safety of work crews, boaters must stay outside the warning buoys which mark the exclusion area. Anchor lines from the construction barge are located just below the lake’s surface and are a serious hazard,” Long said. “Divers are also continuing their work on the project.”
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