LAKE MURRAY SHORES, S.C. — Water levels over at Lake Murray have been fluctuating on the high side this month with the rain we've been having.
"It always fluctuates during the spring of the year. That's when we get a lot of times early year rainfall amounts," said Roy Parker, long time Lake Murray resident.
Dominion's target elevation is about 358 feet at the Lake Murray dam.
Right now it sits at 358.6 feet due to rain over the weekend.
This could mean unwelcome wetness in your yard or soaking of your dock.
Dominion Energy is in charge of making sure the levels are in sync with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC issued a license to Dominion Energy in order for it to maintain the lake and help generate electricity for their grid.
"Lake Murray is experiencing high inflows as a result of recent heavy rain and releases from upstream dams. When the inflow to the lake is high, Dominion Energy may increase the amount of water it releases through the Lake Murray dam," Matthew Long, Dominion Energy spokesperson said.
Dominion confirmed one of their six gates opened Tuesday to allow more water flow into the Saluda river.
"They have to be careful in that because there's downstream effects. If you get too much water downstream it damages property downstream," Parker said.
One long-time Lake Murray resident Roy Parker has lined his property with rocks and reed plants to deter the erosion caused by waves and high lake levels.
"Plants will give you a breakup for those waves before they erode the soil, so it's just a means to protect the shoreline," Parker said.
He recommends boaters be on high alert when the water is up because debris could be lurking around the corner and before you see it, it could be too late.
He said watching water could save you in the long run.
You can click here to check Lake Murray's current elevation of reservoir water surface above datum, feet.