While leisure activity in its parks near the Lake Murray Dam may be slowing down as winter approaches, Dominion Energy will be hard at work on the structure in the coming months.

The company announced Dec. 8 that it is set to continue a multi-year restoration project “to extend operations of critical infrastructure used to generate power for customers and supply water to the Lower Saluda River.”

“Dive crews will replace headgates inside the Saluda Hydroelectric Project’s five intake towers beginning in January. Enhancements will also be made to the visible portion of the towers,” Dominion details in a release.

“The 223-foot-high intake towers, which are visible while driving across the dam, supply water to the Lower Saluda River through power-generating turbines. The towers utilize a set of steel headgates to shut off the flow of water from the lake, allowing maintenance and inspection activities on downstream equipment. The towers will maintain their iconic look once work is complete.”

Dominion launched the multi-year effort to service the intake towers, iconic structures frequently depicted in pictures of the reservoir and in promotional materials for the area (including the logo of the Lexington Chamber and Visitors Center), in the summer of 2022, with crews diving down into the water to inspect the towers.

At the time, the company said it would use information gathered during the inspections to determine the scope of the work necessary to replace the headgates, initially planning to begin work in spring 2024 and complete it by late-2025 “pending the timely receipt of regulatory approvals.”

Dominion now reports that work is scheduled to continue through 2026, with no plans to lower the lake’s water level due to the project.

The work won’t close the park on the Lexington side of the dam, the site of Dominion’s popular beach that is closed during the colder months anyway. About 40 parking spaces on that side will close Jan. 11, leaving about 20 still available for those looking to access the dam walkway from that end of the lake.

“While the Lake Murray public park will open for the season as scheduled in April, parking will not be available in the upper lot on the north end of the park,” the release states.

The project won’t overlap with recently announced repaving work to the Dominion park on the Irmo side of the dam, the site of the company’s popular boat launch. That park, including the launch, is closed through December while the resurfacing work is completed.

“We understand the inconvenience this work may cause, and we thank the public for their patience during this complex project," Dominion Energy South Carolina Vice President of Generation Iris Griffin is quoted. “These headgates have done their job safely and successfully for nearly 100 years. Investing in their replacement will enhance the reliability of the Saluda Hydro facility's operations to help serve our customers for many years to come.”

Maintenance of the dam has come under some scrutiny this year, as repairs were conducted between June and August to fix the walkway across the Lake Murray Dam after inspections revealed structural issues with the dam. Though these issues impacted the walkway, they were never considered a safety concern when it came to the integrity of the dam itself.

This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.