Emergency repairs underway on Augusta Canal bank after damage caused by Helene

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Hans Troyer has logged a lot of miles running on the Augusta Canal, but he’s never seen it in this shape.

“Luckily the trail is in decent condition. I mean everywhere left or right of the trail is really torn up,” said Troyer.

As many as 100 trees have been knocked into the canal. In many cases, taking sections of the bank with them.

“Root balls came out. We have a local contractor, Blair Construction, that’s helping us to solidify that to make sure that embankment remains safe,” said Chad Hendrix Augusta Chief Dam Safety Engineer for the Utilities Department.

Heavy equipment moved tons of boulders to shore up the holes in the canal bank.

“We’re doing some emergency repairs. The work that we are doing is really just armoring the embankment,” said Mitchell O’Neal Utilities Department consultant.

The trees in the water will be removed, as the city works to keep more of the levee from falling into the waterway.

“We were very fortunate we we’re able to get in there Monday morning, start to address these holes if you will that were left. The holes were mainly to prevent erosion from furthering   their damage,” said Hendrix.

The canal provides two thirds of the city’s drinking water and losing it would be catastrophic.

“Is this in danger of failing?”

“It is not. No, sir, this is a mitigatory repair,” said O’Neal.

Mitigatory means the canal can be fixed, but the city is not sure how long it will take or how much it will cost.

But in the meantime, this section of the canal is closed to the public.

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