Workers taking advantage of Thurmond Lake's low water levels are making progress in repairing and extending Wildwood Park's boat ramps.
The ramps, which are critical to the county's ability to hold major fishing events, were closed in the fall after falling lake levels rendered them inoperable.
Contractors from Country Way in Modoc, S.C., began work a month ago to lengthen, realign and repair the "megaramps," which consist of three adjacent, two-lane launch areas.
As of Thursday, two of the ramps had been completely remodeled and work was under way on the third, said Jimmy Reese, a carpenter with Country Way.
The $1.1 million ramps, completed in 2003 with local option sales tax dollars, were closed in September when the lake's pool fell to 322 feet above sea level. The lake has since fallen almost five more feet.
In 2006, the county spent $105,000 on slide-in ramp extensions to make the site usable even if the lake fell to 316 feet, but those extensions failed.
The current work is permanent and will allow the ramps to remain in use during the most severe droughts, said Paul Scarbary, Columbia County's facilities services manager.
The current contract calls for extending the bottom of the ramps to 314 feet, he said, but after the contour of the land was explored it was determined that one set of ramps could be extended only to 317 and another set to 315.
The middle pair of ramps can be extended to the 312 elevation and the county's Public Works Committee will consider that change at its Jan. 22 meeting, Mr. Scarbary said.
Most bass boats, averaging about 21 feet in length, need about three feet of water on top of the lowest ramp elevation to launch, he said, meaning the ramp would be usable if the lake fell as low as 315 feet.
The lake's normal full pool is 330, and Thursday's elevation was just above 317 feet.
The construction, which has been made easier by low water levels, requires that a cofferdam be built around the ramp extension area. Once the cofferdam is complete, water is pumped out and concrete can be pumped in.
Mr. Scarbary said the county hopes to reopen the ramps to the public by Feb. 28, but it will be sooner if all work can be completed before then.
The county expects to use the ramps during the Top Six Championship, which will bring 250 boats and more than 500 anglers to Wildwood in March.
Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
Columbia county has already paid someone $105,000.00 to extend these ramps and due to poor design and workmanship they failed. What is being done to recoup the money already paid out. Now it is paying out more money to extend the same ramps. I hope the county is not using the same company for this repair job. One more thing what's the price for repairs this time? Mr Scarby are you attempting to get a refund for the ramp extensions that did not last a 18 months?????
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