Columbia can finally repair canal damaged in 2015 floods after agreement with FEMA

A deal was reached between Columbia and the federal government which should allow millions of dollars in repairs to be made on the Columbia Canal years after it was damaged in the historic floods of 2015.

City officials announced the “fundamental agreement” with FEMA on Thursday, saying the sides agreed that the canal suffered approximately $42 million in damages during the flooding.

That amount is what was agreed upon for the repairs, Columbia Water spokesman Robert Yanity told The State.

The agreement signals the beginning of the repair process for the canal and hydroelectric plant, officials said in a news release. The canal is the main source of drinking water for 188,000 people in South Carolina’s capital city.

“It has been a been a lengthy and highly technical process to demonstrate to FEMA and other agencies the extent of damage that the flood caused to the canal and power plant,” Assistant City Manager for Columbia Water Clint Shealy said in the release. “However, the second half of the equation was to come to an agreement with FEMA on what the damages were in order to determine how much funding could be provided.

“Today, we are pleased to announce that we have reached this milestone and can move forward with the project.”

In October 2015, flooding caused debris from the Broad River to jam “open the dozen intake gates to the Columbia Canal,” swamping the canal’s sidewalls and blowing out a huge section, The State reported. Some 20 inches of rain were recorded in five days, causing the destruction.

Since the floods, the canal has not been permanently repaired, and only a temporary fix of a rock dam has allowed it to continue to function. Columbia has been lobbying FEMA for years for funds to make a permanent fix.

With an agreement in place, the list of repairs includes fixing the breach to the canal, fixing damaged sections of the canal embankment, and repairing the hydroelectric plant at the south end of the canal to return green power to Columbia, officials said.

In 2018, Columbia officials estimated a permanent fix would cost $169 million. But that included more involved repairs to the entire 2.5 mile length of the embankment which aren’t a part of the current plan, Yanity said.

Additionally, the head gates at the north end of the canal also require replacement, but that does not fall under FEMA’s scope, according to the release. A separate federal funding source is being sought for those repairs, officials said.

Last week, Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said the city secured a more than $20 million community development block grant for disaster recovery and mitigation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for fixing the canal.

“We are excited to finally be moving forward, but we do want the public to understand that this will be a multi-faceted project that will take years to complete,” Shealy said. “And there may be some inconveniences to visitors of Riverfront Park as we move along, including closures from time to time to move equipment in and out.”

The first step in the repair process is an environmental assessment of the canal that will include an archaeological survey which began this week and will include geological borings along the canal embankment, according to the release. It is expected to last through December, and the length of the overall project has not been determined, officials said.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience as we begin this phase of making Columbia whole again from the devastating flood of 2015,” said Shealy.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription