The Augusta Canal Authority has released a feasibility study showing how a whitewater course could be built between the second and third levels of the canal.
The study, compiled by S2O Engineering and Design, states that a whitewater park could have anywhere from a $1.3 million to $7.2 million annual economic impact on the downtown area alone.
Unlike other projects, such as the Savannah Riverkeeper’s ideas of a whitewater course at the current New Savannah Bluff Lock And Dam site and late Augusta Commissioner Andy Cheek’s proposal of flooding Ellis Street and creating a whitewater component, according to Canal Authority Trustee Frederick Neely, the Canal Authorities plans are perfectly feasible.
No dams would have to be demolished, streets dug up or utilities rerouted, Neely said.
“The city already owns the land and the water is already there, all that has to be done is to correctly channel the water,” Neely said.
The land in question, located at upper Broad Street near the Riverwatch Parkway on-ramp, is currently occupied by Fleet Services as well as the Utilities Department. According to Neely, Fleet Services has already planned to move from the area and the Utilities Department has acquired the old Navy training building on Central Avenue to move those offices closer to the Water Treatment Facility.
Another plus for the Canal Authority, according to the study, is the original design of the canal to operate totally on gravity, so no expensive water turbines or pumps will need to be added to control the water pressure.
The study reports: “In-stream whitewater parks are built in natural rivers and consist of natural rock drop structures. At higher flows these parks create waves, eddies, deflectors, and other features conducive to recreational, instructional, and competition-level kayaking.”
The proposed park would incorporate the third level as a lazy mountain stream starting at Sacred Heart Cultural Center and turning into whitewater at the Enterprise Mill “tailrace.” Splash pads for kids and a small amphitheater are also a part of the project.
All of the various waterways in the park would terminate at Hawks Gully where the canal empties back into the Savannah River just up from Riverwalk, linking other recreation areas together and creating an outdoor recreation zone throughout the entirety of downtown.
According to Neely, the location is made even more perfect considering that the area currently looks like an industrial site situated in the heart of downtown’s growing entertainment district.
“You have to look at all of the investments that have been made into Augusta’s growing nightlife, and of course, we have the $75 million King Mill project happening now. Those people, when they move in, are going to want more choices of activities,” Neely said.
The entire project to build the park will cost an estimated $20 million to $25 million; however, Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson, who says he is “200% on-board,” believes that the city could consider adding the project to the next SPLOST.
“The demand is there and the excitement is there. Augusta needs more lifestyle attractions and this could really drive tourism. But this is all in the preliminary stages and there are still hurdles to overcome,” Johnson said.
One perceived hurdle is the fact that the Canal Authority, by diverting water, will make a little less money on the power generation provided by the canal, but Neely says that the Authority can make back that funding by charging a nominal fee to access the park.
“This would actually diversify our income since we do not make as much money from Georgia Power as we used to,” Neely said.
Once opened, the whitewater course would be run by the Canal Authority rather than the Recreation Department.
One issue brought up by Johnson is safety, as the areas of the canal are known for their abundance of wildlife; egrets, hawks and beavers along with venomous snakes and alligators all populate the area.
Park Ranger David Quebedeaux with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says he doesn’t worry about humans using the area safely and that wildlife will largely ignore the human presence.
“Nobody put those alligators there and there is really no way of removing them without them coming back, but my experience is that if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. More people are killed by sharks than alligators and shark attacks, themselves, are extremely rare,” Quebedeaux said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Investigative Reporter and Editorial Page Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
