New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam - The Complexities of Deciding the Future of an Old Structure
Author(s)
Bailey, William
Advisor(s)
Editor(s)
Hatcher, Kathryn J.
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Abstract
The New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam is managed by the Savannah District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since commercial navigation
hasn't used the lock since 1979, the Lock and Dam
hasn't served its authorized purpose for over twenty
years. The Corps is obligated to reduce its maintenance
costs whenever it can, so it recently conducted a study
to determine what should be done with this aging and
deteriorating structure. As it evaluated the functions
that the structure presently provides, the picture became
more complicated. Industries now use the upstream
pool as a source of water for their operations. Private
residences line the shore of the upper pool, attracted by
the waterfront view. Local governments have similarly placed public developments along portions of the shore.
The community holds annual speedboat races on the stable pool, bringing visitors and their dollars to local businesses. On the environmental side, the higher
stable water surface in the pool now supports wetlands
along the shore where they didn't exist before. The
landside portion of the dam is highly used by
fishermen. The area immediately upstream and
downstream of the dam regularly attracts fishermen in boats, when no other boaters can be seen fishing that reach of the river. Regulatory discharge permits have been issued based on the pool being there. Yet removal of the structure would provide substantial benefits to
fisheries by removing an impediment to migratory
pathways and restoring the free-flowing character of a piedmont river. What initially appeared to be an easy decision — What to do with an old, deteriorating,
structure that is a financial burden and no longer serves its authorized purpose — quickly became complicated.
Savannah District struggled through its evaluation and
sent its recommendation for removal of the structure to
its higher headquarters for ultimate submission to the
U.S. Congress. However, before Congress received the report, they authorized the Corps to rehabilitate the
structure and add a fish passage feature, all at full
Federal expense, and then transfer the structure to a
local government. Will Congress fund these actions?
Stay tuned...
Sponsor
Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology
Date
2001-03
Extent
Resource Type
Text
Resource Subtype
Proceedings