Lake Marion water level — South Carolina
Lake Marion in South Carolina was last measured at 73.14 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 3:45 AM (UTC-04:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been rising (+0.1 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↑Rising
+0.1 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026 — a 89-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USGS site 02171000, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
About this gauge's record
This site's drainage basin covers approximately 14,700 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Lake Marion
Lake Marion is held back by Santee (also recorded as Santee (Wilson) Dam, North Dam, South Dam) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 68 ft high and running 40,940 ft along its crest , built across Santee River in Berkeley County , near Pineville . It was completed in 1942 , and is owned by South Carolina Public Service Authority (a state owner) , to a design credited to Harza Engineering Company.
Its recorded primary purpose is flood risk reduction — the pool is drawn down between storms so there is empty space waiting for the next flood, which is why this level can fall in dry weather and climb sharply after rain . It also serves flood risk reduction;navigation;recreation;hydroelectric;water supply.
It is founded on soil, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 3,358 ft wide. Its outlet works use tainter (radial)62.
NID classes it high hazard potential. That describes what a failure would cost downstream — loss of life would be expected — and says nothing about how likely a failure is, or what condition the dam is in. Its most recent condition assessment was fair: sound under normal loading, though a rare or extreme event could expose a deficiency. That assessment is dated 04/11/2023.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 100,000 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 1,450,000 acre-ft against a normal storage of 1,260,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 1,300,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record SC00732 , filed by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USGS Water Services and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Lake Marion compares nearby
4 of 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also rising right now.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Moultrie | SC | 72.97 ft | 17 km |
| Lake Moultrie | SC | 72.91 ft | 28 km |
| Lake Murray | SC | 355.11 ft | 118 km |
| Monticello Reservoir | SC | 423.06 ft | 143 km |
| Savannah River | SC | 186.17 ft | 175 km |
| Neal Shoals Reservoir | SC | 332.68 ft | 180 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Lake Marion?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 3:45 AM (UTC-04:00), the pool elevation was 73.14 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Lake Marion full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USGS site 02171000, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in South Carolina
See every lake tracked in South Carolina, or read the methodology behind these figures.