At Thurmond Lake, a loud siren blares in the distance. It’s a sound signaling the draining of Thurmond's water levels.

The lake's dam releases water into the Savannah River, a process the Army Corps of Engineers is obligated to do, but if Thurmond's levels fall much further the lake will have to receive water from nearby Lake Hartwell.

The Augusta area has received up to a couple of inches of rain this week, but officials at Thurmond Lake say it doesn’t help as much as some might think.

"Local rain is nice. We appreciate every little bit we get,” says Park Ranger Jay Weidman. “But in terms of lake elevation, minor effect."

Weidman says the ground is so dry that nearly all rainfall is immediately soaked up, adding little to the lake’s elevation.

"[Currently, Lake Thurmond is] 13.4 feet below normal, outside of fluctuations of a couple tenths of a foot, we’ve been having a steady drop-off all year," says Weidman.

Park rangers say even though it rained most of the day Wednesday, the view at the beach is no different. The lakes water level is still far from normal and it will take more than a couple inches over a few rainy days to help make a difference.

Because of Thurmond's low levels, park rangers say anyone boating on the lake needs to be cautious and look out for once hidden sand bars and other previously submerged objects.