FACTOID #53: If you thought Antarctica was inhospitable, think again - its land area is only ninety-eight percent ice. Reassuringly, the other 2% is categorised as "barren rock".
The Augusta Canal was devised to harness the power of the fall line of the Savannah River for mills and to provide drinking water for Augusta, Georgia. The fall line has meanings in both geographical features and the sport of alpine skiing. ... The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. ... The seal of the City of Augusta Augusta is a city located in the state of Georgia. ...
The brain-child of lawyer Henry Cumming, it was surveyed and designed by J. Edgar Thomson who was over-seeing the completion of the Georgia Railroad. It was chartered in 1845 and completed in 1847. John Edgar Thomson (February 10, 1808-May 27, 1874) was an American civil engineer, railroad executive and industrialist. ... The Georgia Railroad was originally chartered in 1833 starting in Augusta, Georgia it was completed into Atlanta by Chief Engineer J. Edgar Thomson in 1845 and Richard Peters was its first superintendent. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
The city of Augusta issued bonds worth $100,000 to be redeemed by a "canal tax" levied on the value of property.
In January 1847 the canal board hired Jabez Smith of Petersburg, Virginia, to supervise construction of the huge Augusta Factory at the terminus of the first level.
The city neglected maintenance, and the canal came to be regarded as a "cesspool." During the first urban renewal project in 1960, the Augusta Factory was demolished, and the second and third levels dried up.
The canal and wetlands are home to deer, beaver, river otter, raccoon, a variety of lizards, turtles, and snakes, and even an occasional alligator.
Canal between Sibley and Lake Olmstead; note material that floors the canal is rock (out of the Coastal Plain and into the Piedmont).
The AugustaCanal receives run-off waters from Rae's Creek, which drains lands to the south, adding to the waters which flow into the canal from the Savannah River.
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