Gem Lakes Recreation Association

If you need additional time to pay the special assessment for dam repairs, please reach out to the president (Stephan Kraus) or the treasurer (Duane Berning) via email. President: [email protected] Treasurer: [email protected]

Dam Repairs

UPDATE: Grass is growing and it looks beautiful!! The final boards have been installed which will bring the lower lake back up to its normal level. Thank you all for your patience as we have continued to work on the mandated repairs.

We continue to complete the South Carolina DHEC mandated repairs to the lower dam. The state has historically inspected all of the dams in the state and ours consistently received a "satisfactory" rating. However, after the catastrophic failure of so many dams in 2015, SC DHEC required all dam owners to hire Professional Engineers to inspect all large dams. Our lower dam was labeled "hazardous" due to multiple large tress growing in the downhill side of the dam. We were required to hire another PE to develop a plan to repair the dam, the plan was submitted to the state and we were granted a permit to complete the repairs. The permit will expire in 2027. In order to successfully and completely remove theses large trees from the dam, it is imperative to lower the level of the lake as much as possible in order to minimize the stress on the dam during the removal. The soil from the removed tree holes must be tested by Geotech engineers in order to determine the makeup of the soil brought in to fill the voids created by the removal. Recently significant rainfall has negatively impacted the progress on the dam repairs. Mud and heavy equipment do not work well together. While the lake is so low we can clearly see the stumps from pre-dam times. These stumps contribute to the healthy habitat for the wildlife that prosper in our lakes and are essential to healthy lakes. We all look forward to the successful completion of the repairs and the return of the lake to full pool. In the interim we appreciate your patience and understanding.

Are you are a realtor or lawyer seeking current dues status information before closing or refinancing a house? If so, please contact the GLRA Bookkeeper:

Evelyn Miano
(803) 648-1592
[email protected]