New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam is a dam with inactive lock at the site of the dead town of New Savannah, Georgia on the Savannah River south of Augusta, Georgia.PurposeThe dam was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers for commercial navigation purposes to serve the city of Augusta, located approximately 13mi upstream. It does not serve a hydroelectric power generation or flood control function.HistoryLocated at river mile 187.4, the lock and dam was authorized by the 1930 and 1935 Rivers and Harbors Acts to facilitate commercial navigation on the upper reaches of the Savannah River. The structure was completed in 1937. The last commercial shipping to use the lock ceased in 1979 and the structure and upstream channel fell into disuse. In 1999 the Corps of Engineers proposed demolishing and removing the dam, but local outcry over the resulting impact to users of the impounded pool resulted in the United States Congress declaring in 2000 that the dam would be repaired and then turned over to a local government to be maintained, however the work has not received funding to date.Current usesThe dam serves water supply users including one municipality, five industries, and one sod farm; water-related recreation opportunities such as general boating and fishing and specialized rowing and powerboat race events; and regional economic development and tourism. It is also operated to pass some migratory anadromous fish species. The upstream pool extends through downtown Augusta to near the I-20 bridges.
