The document summarizes the 50th anniversary celebration of Hartwell Dam and Lake. It recognizes the contributions of the many people involved in the construction and ongoing management of the dam and lake project over the past 50 years. The event featured remarks from leaders of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local community groups about the historical and current importance of the project.
1. HARTWELL DAM AND LAKE
50th ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION
April 27, 2012
®
BUILDING STRONG ®
2. WELCOME
On behalf of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, welcome to the
50th Anniversary Celebration of Hartwell Dam and Lake Project! This day represents
an historic milestone in Hartwell’s past and present. On this very day in 1962, the
Hartwell Powerplant generated and put on-line the first electricity from its new
hydroelectric facility. Now, several generations later, we remember the people who
made it possible. Today we honor the many people who contributed to the Hartwell
resource: the electricians, hydrologists, mechanics, powerplant operators, engineers,
planners, park rangers, scientists, community advocates, Congressmen and women,
and many kind-hearted volunteers who have donated their time and talents to the
Hartwell Project. Today, we remember stories and people of the past while we
celebrate 50 years of “Monument to Progress.” I’d like to thank everyone in attendance today for your support to the
Hartwell Project. Whether you’re a current or former employee, a community leader or member of an interest group,
a customer, a stakeholder, a volunteer—your service and contributions have played a role in the development and
sustainment of this valuable Hartwell resource. Thanks for all you do!
- Col. Jeffrey M. Hall, Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District
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The Savannah District launched the e-newsletter in January 2011 to foster communication with stakeholders,
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media on the Corps’ water management actions. It also covers environmental concerns, recreation opportunities, and
related issues at the reservoirs.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District
Find us on the web and social media: www.sas.usace.army.mil
3. HARTWELL DAM & LAKE
50th YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
APRIL 27, 2012 at 1:00
Musical Entertainment………………...............U.S. Army Signal Corps Band, Garden City Brass Quintet, Fort Gordon, Ga.
Staff Sergeant Ryan Fussell, Non-commissioned Officer in Charge
Welcome/ Introduction of Official Party ……………….…..........................................Carol Burdette, Mistress of Ceremonies
Presentation of Colors…………………...............………………Color Guard, Installation Support Battalion, Fort Gordon, Ga.
The National Anthem…..................……………………………………Holly Muttitt, Clerical Assistant, Hartwell Dam and Lake
Pledge of Allegiance…………...........………….……...Zachary Harkness, Recreation Chief Ranger, Hartwell Dam and Lake
Invocation…….……............………………...………...........……………….....Captain George H. Smith III, Battalion Chaplain,
1st Battalion, 214th Field Artillery, Elberton, Ga.
Opening Remarks…………………...........………………...........………..……George Bramlette, Operations Project Manager,
Hartwell Dam and Lake
South Atlantic Division Remarks…..…………...………...........……..…………...Colonel Eric R. Conrad, Deputy Commander
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division
District Commander’s Remarks……………...........………………...………...........….….Colonel Jeffrey M. Hall, Commander,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District
Special Recognition….……………...........………………...….…......Alan Williford, Colonel Jeffrey M. Hall, George Bramlette
Keynote Speaker……………………..........……………….....……….Richard Lockwood, Chief of Operations and Regulatory,
Headquarters U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Remarks……………………………………................…Kenneth E. Legg, Administrator, South Eastern Power Administration
Remarks…………………............…...............Alan Williford, Vice President, Southeastern Federal Power Customers Group
Remarks……………………………………………………….......………...Herb Burnham, President, Lake Hartwell Association
Remarks …………………………………...................……………...Larry Torrance, Director, Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance
Closing Remarks………………………….....................……………………………………………………………...Carol Burdette
Retiring of Colors…………………………………...........……………….....…………………………..………………..Color Guard
The Army Song and Essayons ……………...............….………………………………………………Garden City Brass Quintet
Reception at the Hartwell Powerplant follows. Guests can also go on a guided tour of the powerplant.
The tour concludes at the top of the dam, where guests may ride the shuttle back to the parking area.
4. RICHARD C. LOCKWOOD
Chief, Operations & Regulatory Division
Headquarters USACE
Richard C. Lockwood currently serves as the Chief of Operations and Regulatory for the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In his role, Lockwood provides direction, guidance and
assistance to all USACE Divisions and Districts on all matters in the Operations and Regulatory arenas.
Lockwood’s previous assignments include Regional Business Director for the USACE Mississippi Valley
Division, and Chief of the Operations and Readiness Division at the USACE Pittsburgh District. Before that,
he served multiple positions with the Corps’ Philadelphia District, North Atlantic Division and Marine Design
Center. Lockwood also deployed for recovery operations in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, served as
Mississippi River Division Operations Chief, and has been the USACE Champion for Asset Management and
Rivers Information Services.
Lockwood also spent several years in private sector, primarily working in the oil and mineral exploration industry. His positions encompassed the
design, construction, maintenance and repair of offshore support vessels in Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Southwest
Asia, Alaska and South America.
Lockwood holds a Bachelor of Science in marine engineering and maritime transportation, a master’s degree in engineering management, a Naval
Reserve Commission, U.S. Coast Guard Deck and Engine licenses, and an FCC License. He is a graduate of the National Leadership Institute
and the Corps’ Executive Leadership Development Program and is a member of multiple professional engineering organizations.
COLONEL ERIC R.P. CONRAD,
Deputy Commander,
South Atlantic Division
Col. Eric R.P. Conrad currently serves as the Deputy Commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE), South Atlantic Division in Atlanta, Ga. He has leadership and oversight of a wide variety of military,
environmental, and water resource projects in eight southeastern states, from Virginia to Mississippi, along
with the Caribbean, Central and South America. The South Atlantic Division includes five Districts: Charleston,
S.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Mobile, Ala.; Savannah, Ga.; and Wilmington, N.C.
Before joining the Corps of Engineers in 2010, Conrad held multiple assignments in the U.S. and abroad. His
most recent assignment was the Deputy Commander of Operations Group for the Joint Readiness Training
Center at Fort Polk, La., and Special Troops Battalion Senior Trainer for the 502nd Regiment, 101st Airborne
Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky. He served in multiple leadership positions at Fort Benning, Ga.;
Bamberg, Germany; and Fort Lewis, Wash. Conrad also served as an instructor with the Department of
Mathematical Sciences at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. He has also deployed in support of
Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Desert Storm.
Conrad holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from the U.S. Military Academy and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers upon graduation in 1986. Conrad also holds a master’s degree in applied math modeling from Reassalear Polytechnic Institute
in Troy, N.Y. His military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic Course, Engineer Officer Advanced Course, the Combined Arms Service
Staff School and the US Army Command and General Staff Course.
Conrad will become Commander of the South Atlantic Division on May 4, 2012.
JEFFREY M. HALL
Commander,
Savannah District
Col. Jeffrey M. Hall assumed command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Savannah District on
June 4, 2010. As District Commander, Hall oversees the Savannah District’s $2.3 billion military construction
program at 11 Army and Air Force installations in Georgia and North Carolina; water resource activities in
eastern Georgia and portions of South Carolina; and wetland protection in Georgia. The Savannah District
also performs work in military design and master planning; hazardous, toxic and radioactive waste clean-up
at formerly used defense sites; real estate activities for the Department of Defense; emergency management
operations for state and federal agencies; and supports Overseas Contingency Operations.
Hall came to the Savannah District following an assignment as the Command Engineer for the Army and Air
Force Exchange Services (AAFES), a global military retailer, where he led a $2.5 billion capital construction
program and oversaw the maintenance of 3,100 facilities in 35 countries, five U.S. territories, and all 50 states.
Prior to his AAFES command, Hall served in numerous engineer command and staff positions in the United States and overseas, including
assignments with U.S. Pacific Command, USACE Buffalo District, Kosovo Force Headquarters, NATO, the 1st Calvary Division and V Corps. He
was first commissioned as a Second Lieutenant with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1984.
Hall holds a Bachelor of Science in geology from Trinity University in San Antonio, a Master of Science in general administration from Central
Michigan University, and a Master of Science in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.
5. Carol E. Burdette
A native of Pendleton, S.C., and lifetime Anderson County resident, Carol E. Burdette
became Pendleton’s first female mayor in 1997 and served three terms until 2009.
Over the past 25 years, Burdette has served on multiple committees, boards and
commissions in Pendleton, Anderson County, and throughout the upstate regions of South
Carolina. Since 2002, Carol has been the Chief Professional Officer of United Way of
Anderson County.
Burdette currently serves on the Board of Visitors at Anderson University; the Board of
Directors and Executive Committee of Ten at the Top, a non-profit organization that fosters
regional collaboration within the 10-county upstate South Carolina region; and the Board
of Directors of Sister Cities International, a nonprofit citizen diplomacy network that creates
partnerships between U.S. and international cities.
Burdette has previously served as Board Chair of the YMCA of Anderson; President of the Rotary Club of Anderson;
Campaign and Board Chair for United Way of Anderson County; Board Chair of the Anderson Area Chamber of
Commerce; Rotary District Governor; President of Advance S.C.; President of the Municipal Association of South
Carolina; and Chairman of the South Carolina Association of Non Profit Organizations.
She attended Anderson County public schools and graduated from Southern Wesleyan University in 1982 with a Bachelor
of Science in psycology. She was first elected to Pendleton Town Council in 1987.
George Bramlette
George Bramlette is the Operations Project Manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Hartwell Dam and Lake Project. Bramlette is responsible for full-spectrum operations of the
Hartwell project, including the Congressionally-authorized functions of water supply and water
quality, flood risk management, navigation, hydropower, fish and wildlife management and
recreation. He oversees nearly 56,000 acres of water, 962 miles of shoreline, and one of the
top three most most-visited projects in the Corps.
A native of Greenville, S.C., Bramlette has worked all facets of operations from both the
project and district level during his 32 years of federal service with the Corps of Engineers.
Bramlette began his career in 1979 as a park ranger at the J. Strom Thurmond Project
in Clarks Hill, S.C., then transferred to the Hartwell Project in 1980. He re-located to the
Corps’ Mobile District in 1982, where he worked at the Lake Seminole Project Office and
at the Mobile District Headquarters as a Natural Resources Manager. Bramlette returned to
the Savannah District in 1994 as the Natural Resources Manager for the Hartwell Project, where he was responsible for
managing the largest shoreline use program in the Corps.
Bramlette holds a Bachelor of Science from Clemson University, class of 1979, in recreation and parks administration with
an emphasis in natural resources management.
Kenneth E. Legg
Kenneth E. Legg (Ken) is the Administrator for Southeastern Power Administration
(Southeastern). Before his appointment as Administrator in July 2008, he was Southeastern’s
Assistant Administrator, Division of Power Resources. Before relocating to Elberton, Ga., in
2003, he was Director of Engineering and Planning for Southwestern Power Administration
(Southwestern) in Tulsa, Okla.
Legg’s federal career spans 38 years in the power and energy field. He began his career
in 1974 as an engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District. In 1978, he
became an electrical engineer with Southwestern. In 1980, he was promoted to Public
Utilities Specialist, and then in 1988 named Assistant to the Administrator at Southwestern.
Legg was born and raised in Bartlesville, Okla. He holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical
engineering from Oklahoma State University. He is married to Kay Legg, who is a financial advisor and directs regional
theatre performances with Savannah River Productions, Inc.
6. Alan Williford
Alan Williford is the Manager of Planning and Engineering for Alabama Municipal Electric
Authority (AMEA). In his role, he is responsible for AMEA’s long-term power supply
needs, load forecasting and production cost modeling.
With more than 23 years of experience in the electric utility industry, Williford has worked
closely in the areas of relay and control, system protection, substation construction and
commissioning, supervisor control and data acquisition, and power supply. Before joining
AMEA in 1999, he worked for Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Georgia Transmission
Corporation, Mississippi Power and Light, and Gulf Power Company.
Williford currently serves as Vice President of the Southeastern Federal Power
Customers (SeFPC) Inc. and was previously secretary of the organization for two
consecutive terms. SeFPC represents the hydropower interests of cooperatives and municipal systems in Alabama,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, which serve more
than six million customers.
Williford holds a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Alabama.
Herb Burnham
Herb Burnham is the President of the Lake Hartwell Association (LHA), an organization
formed 21 years ago “for the sake of the lake.” LHA works to ensure continued
protection and enhanced value of the Hartwell resource. LHA advocates on behalf of
its members in the areas of water policy, water quality, safety and state and federal
regulations and keeps members current on critical issues and changes in regulations
that could impact them. Burnham has served as president of LHA since 2009.
Burnham is retired from Fluor Corporation in Greenville, S.C., where he managed
both domestic and international home office and project teams as a member of Fluor’s
worldwide engineering and construction operations. He first accepted a managerial
position with Fluor in 1974 and retired as a senior manager after 27 years of service.
Before his employment with Fluor, Burnham served in the U.S. Air Force as an electronics and nuclear weapons
instructor. He also worked for Lockheed Martin in the early days of America’s Space Program. His most memorable
assignments included supporting launch teams at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and working in the Astronaut
Offices and Mission Control in Houston, Texas.
Larry J. Torrence
Larry J. Torrence founded the Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance (LHMA) in 2009 and
currently serves as Chairman of that organization. LHMA promotes tourism, recreation
and economic development of Lake Hartwell, representing three counties in Georgia and
three counties in South Carolina.
A native of Hartwell, Ga., Torrence was a teenager when the dam was built. He has
close ties to the lake and the various communities surrounding Hartwell.
He has a professional career in Golf Course Community Development, with projects in
Cashiers, Pinehurst and Sanford, N.C.; Atlanta and Greensboro, Ga., Beaufort, S.C.,
and Hamilton, Bermuda. Two of his golf developments were named “Best New Golf Club
of the Year” by Golf Digest.
Torrence holds a Bachelor of Arts in marketing from the University of Georgia and performed graduate work at
Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Torrence is also active in Golden Retriever rescue activities.
7. AUTHORIZATION…Then and Now
Hartwell Dam and Lake was the second U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Multipurpose Water Resources Development
Project in the Savannah River Basin. Authorized by Congress under the Flood Control Act of 1950, the Hartwell Project
was built between 1955 to 1963 for the purposes of hydropower, flood control, and downstream navigation. Additional
authorized purposes of the project now include water supply, water quality, recreation, and fish and wildlife management.
Filling of the lake began in February 1961 and was completed in March 1962. The Powerplant first produced
commercially-available hydroelectric power on April 27, 1962 with Generator Unit One. The total cost of the Hartwell
Project was $89 million.
Hartwell Lake lies within Georgia and South Carolina on the Savannah, Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers. The lake is created
by the Hartwell Dam, located on the Savannah River seven miles below the point at which the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers
join to form the Savannah River. Extending 49 miles up the Tugaloo and 45 miles up the Seneca at normal pool elevation,
Hartwell Lake comprises nearly 56,000 acres of water with a shoreline of 962 miles. The entire Hartwell Project contains
76,450 acres of land and water. Interstate 85 bisects Hartwell Lake and makes the area easily accessible to visitors.
When the dam was constructed, five penstocks were provided for the installation of four 66,000-kilowatt generating units
and a future 80,000-kilowatt unit. The fifth unit was completed in 1985, bringing the total generating capacity to 344,000
kilowatts. The rehabilitation of units 1 through 4 from 1997 to 2000 increased the total generating capacity to 422,000
kilowatts. The electricity generated at the Hartwell Project is marketed by the Southeastern Power Administration (SEPA)
to more than 491 preference customers in the states of Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, southern Illinois, Virginia,
Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Today, the Hartwell Project generates on average more than 468 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year—enough
energy to meet the annual needs of more than 46,000 households. Hartwell also remains one of the top three most-visited
Corps lakes in the nation, attracting 10 million visitors every year.
8. EARLY HISTORY OF THE REGION
The Hartwell region abounds in historical lore, much of it inherited from the Cherokee Indians who once roamed here
and from the early settlers who pioneered the area. Many local streams, rivers and recreation areas bear colorful
Indian names. Some streams allegedly were named by Issaqueena, a young Indian maiden who rode to Fort Ninety-
Six to warn settlers of an impending attack. On her journey, she marked her travel by naming the streams that she
encountered for the number of miles she had covered, accounting for the names of Six-Mile, Twelve-Mile, Twenty-
Three Mile and Twenty-Six Mile creeks, which are part of the lake today. Before and during the Revolutionary War,
the region was a hotbed of anti-British activity. Nancy Hart, for whom Hart County, Ga., Hartwell, Ga., and Hartwell
Dam and Lake subsequently were named, was renowned for her heroic exploits on behalf of the patriot cause. Other
historic figures who lived in the immediate region of Hartwell Lake were Andrew Pickens and John C. Calhoun, both
eminent statesmen from South Carolina. Also, William Bartram, foremost botanist in the late 1700’s, traveled the
region which is Hartwell Lake today, recording vegetation types and plant species and noting his observations on the
Indians in his Travels.
PROJECT FACTS AND FIGURES
• Hartwell is the only U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Powerplant with generator housings outside the plant.
• Fiscal Year 2011 revenue from hydropower program at Hartwell exceeded $11 million.
• Hartwell Dam is 17,790 feet long (1,900 feet concrete structure flanked by earthen embankments).
• The dam height is 204 feet above the river bed.
• Hartwell Lake is approximately 180 feet deep at the dam.
• The Hartwell Dam contains more than 880,000 cubic yards of concrete and three million pounds of reinforcing steel.
• The 568-foot long spillway contains 12 gates each measuring 35.5 feet by 40 feet.
• In addition to the main dam structure, the project included the construction of two diversion dams to divert the
Seneca River around Clemson University, preventing 390 acres of campus inundation.
• The project has prevented an estimated $70 million worth of flood damage since construction.
• Hartwell Lake is consistently one of the top three most visited Corps of Engineers projects nationwide, averaging
approximately 10 million visitors annually.
• The Corps operates 50 recreation areas on Hartwell Lake. In addition there are four state parks, five commercial
marinas, and numerous recreation areas operated by local municipalities.
• The Corps manages the largest Shoreline Management Program in the nation at Hartwell Lake, administering
approximately 12,000 permits for boat docks and other facilities on public lands.
9. TRANSFORMATION…River to Dam and Lake
Clearing Ga. & S.C. Embankments, Constructing the Ga. & S.C. Embankments,
November 22, 1955 December 6, 1956
The Savannah River flowing through the dam under The concrete and earthen dams being joined
construction, June 10, 1959 together, August 12, 1960
Construction of the powerplant begins, August 12, 1960 Hartwell Lake at full pool, 1962
Hartwell Powerplant’s new fishing pier, 2010
10.
11.
12. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers thanks the following
individuals and organizations for their support to the
Hartwell Dam and Lake 50th Anniversary Celebration:
Anderson County Chamber of Commerce
Anderson County Museum
Anderson County Visitor’s Bureau
The Bowers House, Franklin County, Ga.
David Coughlin, Local Historian and Author
Emmanuel College, Franklin Springs, Ga.
Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
Georgia State Patrol
Hart County Arts Center
Hart County Chamber of Commerce
Hart County EMS
Hart County Sherriff’s Department
Lake Hartwell Association
Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance
Madren Conference Center, Clemson University
Oconee County Chamber of Commerce
Oconee Exhibit Venue
Pickens County Chamber of Commerce
Pickens City Hall
Southeastern Federal Power Customers
Southeastern Power Administration
Stephens County Chamber of Commerce
Stephens County Exhibit Venue
United Way of Anderson, S.C.
®
BUILDING STRONG ®