NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Contact:

Oct. 29, 2019 Russell Wicke, Corporate Communications Officer, 912-652-5777
News Release No. 19-32 Russell.A.Wicke@usace.army.mil
After hours: 912-856-4229

Corps Announces decision on fish passage; plans for public engagement

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today its decision on the future of the fish
passage at the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam near Augusta, Georgia. The Corps selected alternative 2-6d, a
set of river-width weirs followed by the removal of the deteriorating lock and dam.

Corps officials plan to hold a public engagement on Nov. 13, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Boathouse Community
Center, 101 Riverfront Drive, Augusta, Georgia, where the public can hear details about the decision.

Alternative 2-6d will lower the average height of the river in the Augusta area approximately 2 feet from current
average conditions. The introduction of multiple weirs will hold the water level above natural levels while allowing
endangered fish, including the shortnose sturgeon, to reach traditional spawning grounds inaccessible since the lock
and dam opened in 1937.

While the final report identifies Alternative 2-6d as the selected alternative, it also enables conditions necessary for
modification to increase the weir height to allow for higher water. These modifications can be introduced either now
or in the future following completion of construction.

Changing to a higher weir alternative before construction requires Georgia and South Carolina to work in concert
with the project’s non-federal sponsor to form a locally preferred plan (LPP). The LPP must be requested by the non-
federal sponsor.

Changing to a higher weir alternative after construction would require an agreement between a non-federal entity,
the non-federal sponsors, and the Corps to pursue the modification.

Modifications to increase weir height would also increase nuisance flooding frequency on private property. Therefore,
increasing the weir height would also require the non-federal interest group to secure flowage easements for affected
properties.

Any modification before or after construction would require a non-federal funding source for the difference in cost of
the change.

Many in the community have expressed the preference for a solution that keeps water levels identical to elevations
observed on Dec. 16, 2016. However, with the introduction of any fish passage the river-system physics do not allow
for water levels identical to that day’s conditions. River conditions would change even with the original fish passage
design from 2014, which retained the entire lock and dam, according to the report.

The final report incorporates comments from the Independent External Peer Review (IEPR) and 461 public
comments, along with the Corps’ responses.

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – SAVANNAH DISTRICT

100 W Oglethorpe Ave. Savannah, GA 31401
www.sas.usace.army.mil
The Corps contracted the IEPR to evaluate the project study's assumptions, methods, analyses, and calculations,
and to identify the need for additional data or analyses. The panel agreed with the Corps’ analysis on 19 of the 21
comments made in the report. The Corps adopted 33 of the panel's 44 recommendations, and in doing so, integrated
them into the final Fish Passage Report, and will further consider the recommendations during the detailed design
phase of the project. The Corps did not agree with comments and recommendations that were not in alignment with
Section 1319 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA 2016), Corps policy for planning studies,
and technical performance criteria to comply with the Endangered Species Act. The final Fish Passage Report is a
smaller supplement to the 2012 Savannah Harbor Expansion Project Environmental Impact Statement (SHEP EIS)
which was outside the scope of the IEPR analysis. The SHEP EIS previously eliminated from consideration a
number of fishway types recommended by the IEPR. The Corps re-evaluated both of the fishway designs referenced
in the IEPR and confirmed elimination after applying the evaluation criteria explained in the report, including such
factors as structural integrity, life-cycle operation and maintenance costs, and effectiveness for fish passage. One
design the IEPR recommended for study is an out-of-river fish bypass channel, which is not compliant with WRDA
2016. The other proposed design is a narrower fishway through the lock chamber, which does not provide for full-
river width fish passage as required to meet the project's fish passage objectives, nor does it result in higher water
levels when compared to the alternatives considered.

The public comments were categorized into six main groups.

The largest category of comments (48%) were petitions to retain the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam. The Corps
studied two alternatives that had the potential to retain the structure. Alternative 1-1, which would retain the gates
only, was eliminated because it is unlikely to create satisfactory conditions needed to pass sturgeon effectively, in
accordance with the required biological opinion. The other is the original fish passage design identified as the No
Action Alternative. This alternative retained the entire structure with a fish passage around the South Carolina side.
Legislation from WRDA 2016 eliminated this alternative.

Twenty-five percent of the comments expressed a preference for water levels higher than provided by the selected
alternative. About half of this category specifically requested a higher weir, which remains an opportunity with non-
federal funding. The other half focused on concerns over the appearance of the shoreline and exposed training wall
during the simulation in February 2019. Details on the analysis of the simulation are presented in the final report,
including unique conditions that occurred causing an inaccurate portrayal river conditions of the selected alternative.
The primary reason for inaccuracy of river conditions in February is the flashboards at Stevens Creek Dam, which
were being replaced during the simulation. The flashboards normally regulate discharge spikes from J. Strom
Thurmond Dam (JST) to steady flows throughout the day. The result without flashboards showed conditions of the
lowest possible flows one could reasonably expect to see instead of the intended low-average flows for the selected
plan. When JST was not generating hydropower the releases downstream dropped close to zero for long periods
throughout the day. Despite those conditions, the water intake analysis by the Corps demonstrated there were no
impacts to the water supply needs of the Augusta metro area for the recommended plan, Alternative 2-6d.

Approximately 4% of the comments were from private dock owners expressing concerns over impacts to their docks.
The Corps encourages private dock owners to contact their respective Corps Regulatory offices for details on
individual permits, and if needed, on permit modifications to extend or adjust docks.

Those comments in support of the selected alternative were 2% of the public comments.

U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – SAVANNAH DISTRICT

100 W Oglethorpe Ave. Savannah, GA 31401
www.sas.usace.army.mil
Approximately 1% of the comments expressed water supply or intake concerns. During the simulation, which
demonstrated conditions of extreme drought flow, there were no intake problems identified.

The remaining comments were widely-varying miscellaneous comments that didn’t fit into the other five categories.
These accounted for about 20% of the total comments. Some were based on interests from state or federal
agencies, some were based on assorted environmental interests, and others focused on varying individual
distinctions of personal circumstances.

Maj. Gen. Diana Holland, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division commanding general,
announced the decision earlier today to a number of stakeholders and elected officials, to include: Georgia Gov.
Brian Kemp, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, Georgia Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue, South
Carolina Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham, U.S. Rep. Rick Allen (Georgia-12), U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (South
Caroliona-2), Augusta, Georgia Mayor Hardie Davis, and North Augusta, South Carolina, Mayor Bob Pettit. Several
of the elected officials expressed disappointment and disagreed with the decision.

Corps officials intend to discuss more details and answer questions on the selected alternative at the Nov. 13 public
engagement.

The entire final report, titled Integrated Post Authorization Analysis Report and Supplemental Environmental
Assessment (SEA), Fish Passage at New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam (NSBLD), and Finding of No Significant
Impact (FONSI), is being loaded online at https://go.usa.gov/xVWxq. The report includes all the public comments
along with Corps responses.

The fish passage project is an environmental mitigation feature of the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project, (SHEP)
and is required mitigation in accordance with the Endangered Species Act and WRDA 2016. In accordance with the
SHEP Biological Opinion, construction on the fish passage must begin before January 2021.

For more on the fish passage and the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam, see the Corps’ past blog posts here.

For a history of the lock and dam, check the webpage here.

– 30 –

Share lines:
Corps of Engineers selects a plan for a fish passage on the Savannah River near Augusta with the removal of the
New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam. See details and reasons at https://go.usa.gov/xprpW.
ABOUT US: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District plays a major role in water resource projects throughout the region. The District operates
three hydroelectric dam and reservoir projects on the Savannah River (Hartwell, Richard B. Russell, and J. Strom Thurmond); maintains the federal shipping
channels at the Savannah and Brunswick harbors; and processes Regulatory (stream/wetland) permits for development projects within the state of Georgia. The
District also oversees a multi-million dollar military construction program at 11 Army and Air Force installations in Georgia and North Carolina. The District
provides expertise across a wide range of disciplines--from engineering, architecture and design to construction, master planning and environmental services.
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U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – SAVANNAH DISTRICT

100 W Oglethorpe Ave. Savannah, GA 31401
www.sas.usace.army.mil