My concern is the wildlife that live in the canal. Has anyone a plan to relocate these animals to the Savannah River when the canal is drained, or will they be left to die?
Thursday's scheduled draining of the Augusta Canal will be postponed until after Jan. 19 to allow workers to test new pumps that will be used in the interim to provide the city of Augusta's drinking water.
The draining -- which will empty the seven-mile channel for two months -- had been scheduled to allow workers to install a pair of 60-inch pipes that will transfer water from the canal to the city's Highland Avenue drinking water plant.
During normal operations, the canal's steady flow provides hydromechanical power to pump raw water several miles to Highland Avenue.
While the canal is drained, however, the city will use a pair of 2,500-horsepower diesel pumps that were installed as a backup system in case the city is ever unable to use the canal. Those pumps can move water directly from the Savannah River to Highland Avenue.
The two-week delay will allow additional evaluation of the new pumps.
"The operators are testing those pumps and they want to develop a sense of confidence in them before we commit to using them," said Allan Saxon, the Augusta Utilities Department's assistant director.
The draining also will allow workers to repair erosion-damaged segments of the canal bank and perform other maintenance and repairs.
The city has acquired all necessary federal permits to the project, said Billy Birdwell, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers' Savannah District.
"The city does not need a permit to drain the canal, but they needed a permit to work on the pumping station, which is the reason they are draining the canal," he said. "That permit has been issued for a while, and they also coordinated that permit with the (Georgia) State Historic Preservation Office."
Reach Rob Pavey at (706) 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
My concern is the wildlife that live in the canal. Has anyone a plan to relocate these animals to the Savannah River when the canal is drained, or will they be left to die?
The animals will relocate themselves to the river.
Why is Augusta so determined to use water that was recently flushed in Columbia County for their drinking water instead of bringing it straight from the Savannah River?
Hell they used their legs to get there they can use them to go somwhere else. Better yet palo you can relocate them all.
palomino9 fishboy is right no need to worry about the animals that close to the river
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