Bill could change course of corps’ plans for Augusta lock and dam
Washington,
June 27, 2024
Originally Published in 12 26 On Your Side.
U.S. House members are advancing legislation that could stop the Army Corps of Engineers’ plan to replace the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam with a rock barrier in the Savannah River. On Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure advanced the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2024. It includes language to stop the corps’ plan for a rock weir and clarify congressional intent to maintain the Savannah River pool level at 114.5 feet in Augusta, according to U.S. Rep. Rick Allen. Allen, R-Augusta, said he was glad to work with Rep. Mike Collins to include the language "to halt the Corps of Engineers’ disastrous rock weir plan dead in its tracks." He called the legislation “a monumental first step toward a permanent solution that works for job creators, municipalities, and most importantly, residents of the CSRA."
He said he looks forward to seeing the legislation considered on the House floor. The lock and dam have been at the center of a yearslong controversy – and litigation – swirling around the needs of CSRA residents vs. the needs of fish that are reportedly impacted by the corps’ deepening of Savannah Harbor. The corps wants to replace the lock and dam with a structure that allows fish to cross it. However, the height of the river must be maintained enough to meet water supply and recreational purposes, as required under federal law. The Savannah River Site, SRS, firefighters conducted their annual emergency preparedness drill for a radiation release at a plutonium removal site in Aiken. The corps concedes the weir would lower the river level by about 3 feet. And that raised the concerns of local leaders and advocates of recreational uses for the river. The corps concluded its plan wouldn’t adversely impact the water supply, fishing, large events, or the continued general use of boat docks. Not everyone thinks that’s an accurate assessment. |
