It has been the experience of Greenville County Soil & Water Conservation District (District) that easements on flood control structures throughout the state have been encroached upon when landowners are not aware of what the easement entails. If the District has a flood easement on your property, it is there to protect the integrity of the floodwater retarding structure located on or downstream of your property and to manage activities within areas subject to flooding as the lake level rises. The District assumes no liability or responsibility for personal and real property within the easement boundary. Care should be taken to protect your personal and real property from floodwater damage when the lake level rises. The following restrictions have been adopted by the District to protect the dam, reservoir storage, and personal and real property. All restrictions will be enforced according to the terms of the easement. This list is not all inclusive and other issues will be addressed as they arise.

1. No building or construction of any kind (homes, camps, boat docks, picnic shelters etc.) below the top of dam elevation without prior approval of the Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District (District).
2. No storage of any materials (vehicles, equipment, hay, etc.) below top of dam elevation, including the emergency spillway.
3. All timber operations are to be approved by the District.
4. No fill material may be placed anywhere on site without prior approval. Compensatory cut from inside the easement of 1.5 times the fill volume may be required.
5. No earth moving or alterations without the District approval and supervision.
6. Riser gate/lift devices are to be operated by District staff only unless otherwise approved.
7. Private fish stocking of the reservoir is allowed, however the District assumes no responsibility to replace fish if the reservoir needs to be drained for any operation or maintenance purpose.
8. No building or filling to take place on/around the outlet channel (culverts, bridges, etc.) without prior approval of District.
9. Rotational grazing of the dam may be allowed at the discretion of District.
10. No storage of boats around flood pool or any other part of the project area is permitted.
11. No recreational vehicle traffic (four wheelers, trucks, etc.) allowed on dam or auxiliary spillway.
12. Fences are only allowed in the auxiliary spillway with prior approval of the District. Barbed wire and split rail are the only types of fence allowed. No fences are allowed on the downstream side of the control portion of the auxiliary spillway.
13. No vegetation with diameter larger than one inch is allowed in the auxiliary spillway or on the dam. Any vegetation larger than one inch in diameter will be removed at the at the District's discretion during normal maintenance activities.
14. Septic tanks are not allowed within the easement area due to the possibility of floating. Properly engineered and installed septic drain fields are allowed. Landowner must understand that if the easement area is flooded, it may negatively impact the drain lines. Neither the South Tyger River Watershed Board, Rabon Creek Watershed Board, Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District, nor Greenville County are liable for any property or facilities damage due to flooding. All setback requirements from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Greenville County Building Codes, Greenville County Floodplain Administrator, Greenville County Land Development Division and the homeowners’ associations must be met.

If you have any questions or concerns about this easement policy, please call the Greenville County Soil and Water Conservation District at 864.467.4995.