In The News

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Big news in a years-long debate over the future of the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam as President Joe Biden signed the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 into law on Saturday.

This bill will authorize a full repair of the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam and also requires the pool level to be maintained at 114.5 feet. For years now, the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam has been at the center of attention.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wanted to get rid of the dam and add in a different kind of structure to protect fish, but state lawmakers disagreed - saying maintaining a water level of 114.5 feet is the top priority. After years of fighting with the Army Corps of Engineers, the lock and dam is here to stay.

In a statement, Congressman Joe Wilson says any option that resulted in a significant drop in the water level was a non-starter for local businesses, homeowners, and families. He believes preserving the structure will be beneficial and Congressman Rick Allen stated this as a historic victory for East Georgia

But this solution to a decades-old challenge is one, not everyone is on board with. “No is the answer,” said Tonya Bonitatibus, Savannah riverkeeper. “I also don’t think a 1936 structure is the way to move forward. We’re not driving cars from 1936. We now know exactly what we knew in 1989, which is that the structure has to stay. We know that fish have to get past here and we know it’s a very expensive proposal.”

Bonitatibus agrees the structure is in need of repairs, but the plan creates a lot of questions.“The two questions are one, who’s going to pay for that?,” said Bonitatibus. “And that’s not going to be the state of Georgia, so it’ll have to come locally. Then number two is what happens with the outstanding lawsuit?” The next big thing on the table is what comes next. 

The new law says the Georgia Ports Authority picks up the tab, but only the amount in a report from 2012. So while the legal battle is over, the budget battle may just be getting started. “I just hope that we do it in a way that actually gives the normal person a chance to engage with the river,” said  Bonitatibus.“This is a historic day for the CSRA, residents of the 12th District, and all of East Georgia,” said Allen. “For the better part of a decade, I have worked closely with local leaders, stakeholders, and members of our community to ensure the Lock and Dam is maintained and the pool level remains at 114.5 feet. That is now the law of the land!”