New recreation plans explored for Savannah River lock and dam
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - A new recreation area along the Savannah River is meant to replace the crumbling lock and dam.
It’s been a heated debate for several years now with the courts telling the Army Corps of Engineers it has to maintain river levels. Now the Savannah Riverkeeper says it has a new plan that may work.
The fight over what to do with the lock and dam has been silent for a little while now, but there’s been movement in the wings.
On Wednesday, the Savannah Riverkeeper unveiled a plan that seems too good to be true: a special kind of floodgate designed to keep the river level where it is along with a park with a whole lot of bells and whistles.
Say goodbye to “restricted” signs and hello to the potential future of Convergence Park.
“Revitalizing the park making it a place we can still enjoy but also attract people to our community, we’ll all benefit,” said Tonya Bonitatibus, Savannah Riverkeeper.
The riverkeeper’s dream is to get rid of the current lock and dam, putting special crest gates in its place. They say the new gates would maintain the water level of the river, and give the fish a path through. But the bonus to this plan is that the water can be quickly changed from a whitewater rafting course to kayaking with just the push of a button. There’s also an area for you to relax in a wading pool, a new boat ramp and docks for fishing in the plan.
“I think it’s actually really crucial that that’s allowed to continue and it’s actually enhanced in the future because South Augusta has a lot going for it,” she said.
They modeled some of the project off of a similar one in the Georgia city of Columbus that has skyrocketed the downtown and tourism industry, with hopes to bring more growth, sustainability and fun to Augusta.
But how do we pay for it? They’re looking for some federal funding to replace the dam, the city to help with recreation. And you, private partners to run other activities like kayak rentals, ziplines and food.
We reached out to the city and the Army Corps to find out how much they know about the plan and whether it’s a possibility. If you want to learn more, visit Savannah Run at Convergence Park.
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