AUGUSTA, GA (WJBF) – The sign of the times on the Augusta Canal – a gate blocking access to a popular stretch.

“We actually saw that the other end was closed, so we came here, and we thought, ‘What if it was closed, and sure enough, it is,'” Roy McKinney said, a visitor to the Augusta Canal.

From the pump house to the entrance gates, three and a half miles of the canal trail were closed to the public.

“Over 100 trees coming over the embankment, causing root ball holes in the embankment, we have to get them out of there, cut the root balls and repack the dam,” said Public Utilities Department Director Wes Byne.

The canal is not only a popular recreational spot, but it also provides 70% of the city’s drinking water and the canal’s trees are coming out to prevent the water intakes from being blocked again.

So the commission approved $4 million for repairs, or more than $1 million for every mile of canal closed.

“It needs to be cleared of trees, mainly rebuilding the banks, stabilizing it there and there are also a lot of trees hanging over the towpath,” Byne said.

But some visitors think this section could be open.

“I saw nothing but fallen trees in the canal. I could see where that would be problematic, but it seems safe to me,” John Purvis said.

There is no date when this section will reopen, but when it does, it will not be the same.

“It’ll be a lot different once we’re done,” Byne said.

“Much less shady?”

“A lot less shady,” he says.

It is clear that Hélène left an indelible mark on the canal.

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