If you were around Columbia in October of 2015, you remember the 1,000 year flood that brought over 20 inches of rain to parts of the Midlands. Many roads collapsed, some residents had to evacuate their homes + many homes and buildings were severely damaged or destroyed all together.

The rains caused the Congaree River to rise to 31.8 ft. (12+ ft. over flood level) and Gills Creek to rise to 19.6 ft., which caused significant destruction along the Devine Street + Garners Ferry areas.

On Oct. 3, debris and flood water from the Broad River breached the Columbia Canal, which is a main source of drinking water for Columbia residents. Approximately 188,000 residents were left without clean water. Since 2015, the dam has not been permanently fixed; however, a rock dam (which is still in place) has allowed the canal to function as a temporary fix.

Nearly five years later and after years of negotiations, Columbia Water and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have come to an agreement on the extent of the damage to the Columbia Canal + the cost of necessary repairs – which has allowed these repairs to begin. The $42 million project will repair the breach to the canal, fix damaged sections of the canal embankment + repair the hydroelectric plant and the south end of the canal.

The first step in the project is an environment assessment, including an archeological survey, which began last week following the agreement. This stage of the project is expected to last through December.

Although the project doesn’t have a solidified timeline yet, officials stated that they expect it will take years to complete and at times, the Riverfront Park may have to be closed to move construction machinery around.

We’re excited for the progress of this project for our city, one drop at a time. 💧

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