Lake Marion Water Level
South Carolina · Santee River
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Water level history
About Lake Marion
Lake Marion is a reservoir on the Santee River in South Carolina, operated by Santee Cooper. It's the largest lake in South Carolina. Its full summer pool sits at 75.5 ft above sea level. Live water levels come from USGS gauge 02171000 and update every 15 to 60 minutes.
Understanding Lake Marion's water level
"Full pool" is the elevation Santee Cooper targets when Lake Marion is completely filled — 75.5 feet above sea level. Above that line the Corps deliberately keeps empty "flood storage" to absorb heavy rain, so the lake rarely sits far above 75.5 ft for long. A reading a few feet under full is usually just the normal operating band rather than a sign of drought.
In a normal year Lake Marion sits highest through the summer recreation season and lower over winter, when the Corps makes room for storms. Extended dry spells in late summer and fall are what usually pull the lake noticeably below full pool.
The all-time high and low above come from the full USGS period of record for this gauge — often decades of data — so they're a good yardstick for how unusual today's level really is. Use the chart's "Compare 5 years" view to see whether the current reading is running ahead of or behind a typical year.
Lake Marion — frequently asked
What is the current water level of Lake Marion?
The gauge at the top of this page shows Lake Marion's current elevation in feet above sea level, updated from USGS gauge 02171000.
What is full pool for Lake Marion?
Lake Marion's full summer pool is 75.5 feet above sea level. Levels are typically drawn down below that in winter for flood storage.
Who manages Lake Marion?
Lake Marion is operated by Santee Cooper on the Santee River.
Where is Lake Marion located?
Lake Marion is in South Carolina, on the Santee River.
Why is Lake Marion low right now?
Reservoir levels fall during dry spells and seasonal drawdown — when Santee Cooper lowers the pool for flood storage, power, or water supply — and recover after rain and snowmelt. The history chart above shows the recent trend.
What are the record high and low levels for Lake Marion?
The all-time high and low elevations, with the years they occurred, are shown in the stats on this page and come from the full USGS period of record.
Other lakes near Lake Marion
- Lake GreenwoodSC
- Lake HartwellGA/SC
- J. Strom Thurmond Lake (Clarks Hill)GA/SC
- Lake JocasseeSC
- Lake KeoweeSC
- Lake MoultrieSC
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