Heavy rain simultaneous with start of spawning

 This week’s heavy rain that amounted to three inches for Lake Hartwell arrived simultaneous with the start of the spawning season. Water managers with the Army Corps of Engineers have increased the releases from the dams, to ensure minimal impact on critical fish spawning. The releases are to continue until a target elevation of 600.5 feet above mean sea level at Hartwell and 329.5 feet msl at Thurmond. Jamie Sykes, fisheries biologist, predicts this spawning season will be very beneficial to the basin, but fishermen won’t reap the benefit until two or three years from now when the eggs become mature fish suitable for sport fishing.