04 May 2018 Augusta Canal Receives Historic Landmark Designation
Mark Lorah was one of many engineers pleased to see Friday’s culmination of a nearly 30-year effort to add a historical landmark to the Augusta Canal and Industrial District.
The structural engineer with Johnson, Laschober & Associates was joined by city leaders and members of the International Engineering Society, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the ASCE Georgia and South Carolina sections to name the Augusta Canal and Industrial District a historic engineering landmark Friday.
“It’s recognizing the value that Augusta has for the next hundred years,” Lorah said before the landmark’s dedication.
The Augusta Canal and Industrial District is only the second location in the state to receive the recognition. Savannah is the other.
Mayor Hardie Davis, one of three keynote speakers at the dedication along the banks of the canal, elaborated on the landmark’s importance to the community.
“It’s a special part of the community and one of the best examples of the unique engineering (established for Augusta),” he said.
The canal, constructed in 1845, is a source of renewable energy and offers a variety of recreational, educational and economic development opportunities. It was the first canal in the U.S. built for water power, water supply and transportation, and it is the only canal still used for its original purposes.
That is a source of pride for Dayton Sherrouse, the executive director of the Augusta Canal Authority.
“The three purposes for the canal are still applicable today,” he said as attendees gathered.
Principal engineer Jorge Jiménez with ZEL Engineers was happy to see the recognition arrive.
“This has been designed and built by civil engineers the entire time,” he said. “And it’ll keep Augusta’s water supply secure for many more years.”
Source: The Augusta Chronicle
Author: Nefeteria Brewster