09/01/2026
What the Corps of Engineers’ announcement actually means for your dock.
The short version: the Corps is capping the lake at 656 feet, which is 4 feet below what we've always thought of as full pool (660 feet). This isn't a drought thing that fixes itself with a wet winter, it's tied to repair work on the Clemson saddle d**e. The Corps has said this could be the reality for the next 5 to 10 years, maybe longer. Right now we're sitting even lower than that because of the drought, so a lot of folks haven't felt the difference yet. But once the rain comes back, the lake still won't come back to where it used to sit. That's the part worth planning for now instead of later.
This matters more than people expect. Your gangway was built assuming the water would regularly reach close to 660 feet. At 656 feet, that ramp sits at a steeper angle permanently, not just during a dry spell. Anchor cables are affected too and not just in length. The angle a cable runs at is what keeps a dock stable. If it’s too flat or too steep, it won't hold the dock steady and it puts uneven strain on the hardware over time. With the water sitting lower, the shore pins those cables tie into often need to be moved or reset to get that angle right again. And in coves with a gentler slope, some docks that used to float just fine are going to end up sitting on the bottom even in a normal year.
The Corps has said they'll let the lake spike as high as 662 feet during heavy rain before pulling it back down to 656 feet within about a week. That high water can push a floating dock further up the bank than it's used to sitting. If wind picks up while the extra water has your cables sitting loose, a dock can start swinging around instead of holding steady where it's anchored. Then when the Corps pulls that water back off over just seven days, a dock that swung out of position doesn't always settle back where it started. It can end up grounded instead of sitting square where it belongs.
We're also seeing a lot of docks sitting up on the bank right now. We understand the instinct to just wait it out until the lake comes back up. However, MOST docks can get moved back in the water right now, even with the lake this low. Once it's back in, though, it more than likely won't be a one-and-done. It'll need to be checked and adjusted regularly to stay at the right level as the lake moves. That's exactly what dock monitoring is for.
If your bank makes it hard to get down to the water, this is also a good time to look into stairs or stairs with a ramp for the dock wheels. It's a lot easier to build that kind of access while the bank is dry and exposed than it is once the water's back up against it.
If you're not sure whether your dock, gangway, or anchoring setup is going to hold up under the new normal, that's a conversation worth having before the water moves again. As always, we are here to help if you need us.
