Lake Conestee Dam Restoration Achieves Major Milestone in Replacing 130-year-old Upstate Dam

Potential risks to people, environment substantially mitigated through collaborative efforts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sept. 8, 2025

GREENVILLE, S.C. —  A historic milestone was recently achieved during the ongoing restoration of the Lake Conestee Dam in Greenville: water from the Reedy River now flows over a newly constructed dam, putting an end to potential risks posed by the former dam. 

Built in 1892, the original structure was one of only a few stone masonry dams regulated by the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), which oversees the state’s Dam Safety Program. In recent years, the dam had begun showing signs of seepage and structural wear after 130 years of operation. Additionally, hazardous contaminants had settled into the sediment beneath the reservoir water — the result of years of industrial waste and urban development that were largely unregulated until the 1970s. By 2022, the reservoir had shrunk from 135 acres to 13 acres and contained approximately 3.25 million cubic yards of toxic sediment.

Through the concerted efforts of the S.C. General Assembly, SCDES, Lake Conestee Dam Restoration Project, Conestee Nature Preserve, state and local officials, residents, stakeholders, and many others, plans to address the outdated dam were solidified and by 2023 significant strides were underway to safeguard the community from potential hazards posed by the original dam. 

Water from the Reedy River now flows over the newly constructed Lake Conestee Dam in Greenville – a major milestone in this dam restoration project. The new dam replaces the former 130-year-old stone masonry dam that had reached the end of its lifespan and began showing signs of possible failure. (Photo courtesy of the Lake Conestee Dam Restoration Project.) 

“Collaboration is the heart of this monumental success story,” said Myra Reece, SCDES Director. “The original Lake Conestee Dam presented a significant challenge, but by bringing together the right people at the right time, we worked to identify a path forward. With funding support from the General Assembly and stakeholder groups, who understood the necessity of this project, that path forward was put into action."

The General Assembly approved $36 million to replace the original dam, and another $8 million was dedicated to the project from stakeholder groups.

Dr. Kelly D. H. Lowry created the Lake Conestee Dam Restoration Project (LCDRP), which oversaw construction of the new dam. After acquiring funding, building a specialized team of designers and contractors, finalizing designs, and obtaining the required permits, construction of the project began in January 2025 and was officially celebrated with a ground-breaking ceremony in February. Six months later, the project is two years ahead of schedule and under budget. 

“We are extremely pleased with the success of this project,” said Dr. Lowry. “The expertise brought to bear by our highly skilled team of engineers and contractors enabled us to remove a grave threat to over a million South Carolinians. Dam failure and the tragedy that would have resulted is no longer in the cards. I am humbled by the overwhelming support from the local community and all our partners throughout the region and the state, public and private collaboration. We could not have done it without everyone pulling together.” 

The new Lake Conestee Dam is approximately 60 feet downstream of the original structure. During construction, water was diverted through culverts beneath the new dam. 

Today, the Reedy River flows over the new dam, which currently controls the river. The original dam is safely immersed under the waters of Lake Conestee.

Final touches at the construction site are underway, and the entire project is expected to be complete by October. During the coming months, LCDRP will construct an informational kiosk near the new dam that will describe the story of the dam, the adjacent textile mill, and the surrounding community. 

The LCDRP Core Team includes the following:

• Design Engineers: Kiewit Engineering Group (Lone Tree, CO)
• Contractor: Kiewit Infrastructure South, Inc. (Charleston, SC)
• Owner’s Engineer: Kleinschmidt Associates (Pittsfield, ME)
• Project Management: Cumming Management (Lexington, SC)
• Director of the Project: Kelly D. H. Lowry (White Stone, SC) 

Key supporters that made this collaborative project possible include: 

• Greenville, Greenwood, and Laurens County residents and elected officials
• Conestee Nature Preserve
• Greenwood County Commissioners of Public Works, Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission, the City of Greenville, and Greenville County Council
• Ralph Cushing and Save Lake Greenwood
• Dayne Pruitt, Greenwood County Council
• Dave Hargett
• ReWa
• Duke Energy
• S.C. General Assembly
• State Sen. Billy Garrett
• State Rep. Bruce Bannister
• State Rep. John McCravy

The Lake Conestee Dam Restoration Project provides an up-to-date website with a timeline of activities and livestream of the construction project, available at lakeconesteedam.org. 

SCDES provides background information, a historical Storymap of the dam, and a link to the Lake Conestee Dam 2020 Inspection Report that identifies the sediment contamination at des.sc.gov/LakeConesteeDam.

Learn more about SCDES’s role with implementing the state’s Dam Safety Program at des.sc.gov/dams.

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