Santee Cooper begins ‘near-record’ spill Tuesday

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCBD) – Santee Cooper is scheduled to begin a ‘near-record’ spill as near historic water flows move from North Carolina into Lake Marion.

Officials say Santee Cooper’s dams and dikes are secure, the spill will help maintain their integrity through the period of extreme inflows.

“Santee Cooper System Operators expect inflows to Lake Marion to reach about 2 million gallons per second (about 280,000 cubic feet per second),” said Santee Cooper officials. “As a result, Santee Cooper plans to increase the spill to a little less than 1 million gallons per second (130,000 cfs) beginning Tuesday, Oct. 1.”

According to Santee Cooper, at that volume, there could be flooding in the Santee River floodplain as early as Thursday or Friday. Areas in Georgetown County may experience flooding in the same areas that were affected by major spills in 2015 and 2020.

Flooding will be more significant in areas closer to Highway 17. Santee Cooper says they are working with local and state authorities to manage any related issues.

Officials ask residents in the floodplain area to remain alert and use caution while traveling through the area.