Lake Murray construction project nears completion. Here’s what to know

Construction activity on Lake Murray has drawn curiosity from residents wondering what’s happening at the dam’s iconic intake towers. The nearly three-year Dominion Energy project to restore the 223-foot-high towers is close to wrapping up.

FULL STORY: Construction activity on Lake Murray raises the question: What’s going on?

Here are key takeaways:

• The work targets Lake Murray Dam’s 223-foot-high intake towers, which supply water to the Lower Saluda River through power-generating turbines and are essential for shutting off water flow.
• Dominion Energy announced the multi-year restoration in 2023 to extend the life of infrastructure used to generate power and supply water. Work is scheduled to continue through 2026, and the towers will look the same once finished.
• Iris Griffin, vice president of generation for Dominion Energy South Carolina, said in a 2023 news release that the headgates “have done their job safely and successfully for nearly 100 years” and that investing in their replacement will enhance reliability at the Saluda Hydro facility.
• Dominion spokesman Matt Long said a crane on a barge heading back to shore may have renewed public curiosity about the project. Long said boaters must stay outside warning buoys marking the exclusion area because anchor lines from the construction barge sit just below the lake’s surface and pose a serious hazard.
• The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department are enforcing the exclusion zone around the towers. Swimming, boating and beaching have continued through the project with only minor restrictions, and the lake’s water level has not been lowered.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.