The study, the Savannah River Basin Water Planning Study, is phase II of a study started in 2004 that ended with a drought plan. Funding ran out and the second phase of the study was not completed, according to Mike Massey of the Lake Hartwell Association.

Emily Tyner, press secretary for U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett of South Carolina said $493,000 was obtained for the study in the 2010 energy bill.

State governments in South Carolina and Georgia will provide 25 percent each of that total in matching funds, she said.

“I am pleased the funding has been appropriated for the Savannah River Basin Study,” Barrett said. “The findings from this study will be an asset to our community and will help improve our state’s future water management plans.”

The Savannah River Basin Comprehensive Water Resources Study “will help in developing an updated plan addressing current and future needs in the basin, examine reallocation of storage at Corps of Engineers multi-purpose projects, and to develop a better management structure to address basin water resources issues,” according to a statement released through Tyner.

“This study will help generate new operating guidelines for the allocation of the water stored at the three Federal reservoirs in the Savannah River basin (including possibly changing the water allocations for hydropower, water supply, and flood damage reduction.)”

Massey said the study is needed.

“This is more good news for the area in that we will have a firm, well-documented study with clear, scientific findings for determining water allocation steps and water management processes for the basin,” Massey said. “It is anticipated that funds will be spent to run the SRB model to determine the effects of various changes for both normal operation and drought contingencies.”

Massey, chairman of the lake association’s South Carolina Legislative Committee, said it was important to have the Corps involved in the study. Other studies without the Corps’ participation carry less weight, he said.

Funding help also came through U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Massey noted.