Neal Shoals Reservoir water level — South Carolina
Neal Shoals Reservoir in South Carolina was last measured at 332.68 ft (datum NAVD88), as of Aug 31, 2026, 3:15 AM (UTC-04:00) (USGS Water Services). Over its recent trend window the level has been rising (+1.0 ft). This reading is provisional and subject to revision.
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- ↑Rising
+1.0 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 02156449, 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 2,730 sq mi of contributing watershed.
The dam behind Neal Shoals Reservoir
Neal Shoals Reservoir is held back by Neal Shoals , a concrete structure , standing 32 ft high and running 1,295 ft along its crest , built across Broad River in Union County , near None . It was completed in 1905 , and is owned by South Carolina Electric and Gas Company (a public utility owner) , to a design credited to W. B. SMITH WHALER.
Its recorded primary purpose is hydroelectric — releases follow generation schedules, so the level can move on a daily cycle that has nothing to do with drought .
It is founded on rock, with a concrete core. Its spillway is ungated: once the pool reaches the crest, water leaves on its own and the operator cannot hold it back. The spillway opening is 987 ft wide. Its outlet works use slide (sluice gate)2.
NID classes it low hazard potential: a failure would be expected to damage little beyond the owner's own property. It is a consequence rating, not a condition rating. 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 550 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 1,492 acre-ft against a normal storage of 1,350 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 4,000 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record SC01058 , 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 Neal Shoals Reservoir 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninetynine Island Reservoir | SC | 509.45 ft | 41 km |
| Monticello Reservoir | SC | 423.06 ft | 42 km |
| Lake Blalock | SC | 710.11 ft | 58 km |
| Tyger Lake | SC | 710.95 ft | 63 km |
| Lake Greenwood | SC | 438.45 ft | 69 km |
| Lake Murray | SC | 355.11 ft | 71 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Neal Shoals Reservoir?
- As of Aug 31, 2026, 3:15 AM (UTC-04:00), the pool elevation was 332.68 ft (datum NAVD88), provisional and subject to revision. See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Neal Shoals Reservoir 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 02156449, 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.