|
Day 6
Dam to Dam Do-Si-Do
Like most Georgia rivers that spill across the fall line, the Savannah has been dammed at this strategic location. On this 14-mile jaunt, we will explore the river’s three fall line dams—Clarks Hill, a Corps of Engineers project completed in 1953; Steven Creek Dam, a South Carolina Electric and Gas facility dating to 1925; and the Augusta Canal Diversion Dam, erected in 1845. There are a total of six dams on the Savannah.
After spending the earlier part of the week on the Broad, the Savannah will stun you with its size. Leaving the shadows of Clarks Hill, the paddle takes you past Germain Island, a massive island large enough to support several holes of a riverfront golf course, and into the backwaters of the small reservoir created by Steven Creek Dam.
Homes flank the river in South Carolina and Georgia as the river slips below Furry’s Ferry Road; lakefront property remains clearly popular all the way to the Dam. A short portage around the low-head dam takes you to Stallings Island, where archaeologists have found the oldest pottery known in North America. The potsherds uncovered here date back 3800 years. The 16-acre island is a National Historic Landmark and an Archaeological Conservancy preserve where visitation is tightly restricted.
Beyond the island it’s a quick paddle to the headgates of the Augusta Canal and the Savannah Rapids Pavilion area. The area includes numerous restored historic structures including the Lockkeeper residence which now serves as a visitor’s center and museum. In the 1800s, the Lockkeeper worked the lock attached to the diversion dam, allowing boats to bypass the Savannah’s downriver shoals and ply down the Canal for trade in Augusta.
While the restored locks are still operational, we will portage around the structure. The low head dam adjacent to the Lock is a bit too close for comfort!
|
