Dougherty resident requests action to prevent flooding in Lake Chehaw area

ALBANY — The area’s collection of creeks and drainage canals, and, of course, the Flint River, and their flows through neighborhoods make flooding a regular event.

A Dougherty County resident whose house flooded in 2020 made an appeal Monday to the Dougherty County Commission to take steps to help prevent the flooding of neighborhoods from the overflow at Lake Chehaw and the two creeks that feed the body of water.

Heavy rainfall was part of the story behind the March 7, 2020, flooding in several neighborhoods, but the biggest factor was the dumping of water from Lake Blackshear, said Ned Newcomb, who previously addressed commissioners in September about the incident.

“However, the Crisp County Power Commission has a history of dumping large amounts of water, (more than) what I’d say is necessary,” said Newcomb, whose Lovers Lane Road residence was flooded. “When they dumped the water and my home was flooding, the water on Lake Blackshear was 4 feet low.

“This release flooded not only my home, but several homes on Lovers Lane, Philema Road and the Radium (Springs) area.”

Georgia Power Co., which operates the dam at Lake Chehaw, is not allowed to release water ahead of a storm event, and that contributes to flooding in Dougherty and Lee counties, he said. And if the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission allowed it to conduct a controlled release it could provide relief to homeowners along the Kinchafoonee and Muckalee creeks, he added.

“I want the Dougherty County Emergency Management (Agency) to request FERC to allow Georgia Power to release at least 3 feet of water ahead of a high-water event,” Newcomb said. “They can’t react until water physically hits their dams.”

He also requested the emergency management officials have discussions with Crisp Power on its release of water. His third request was for a flood gauge on Lake Chehaw. The water gauge could provide information to residents of approaching flood events and monitor the release of water at Lake Chehaw.

After Newcomb’s previous appearance, commissioners discussed the issue at a subsequent meeting during which Commissioner Russell Gray asked the commission to fund a $100,000 flood study. That proposal did not gain enough votes to pass.

Commissioner Anthony Jones said he is grateful to Newcomb for bringing the issue to the commission’s attention for a second time and that he agreed the county’s Emergency Management Agency should get involved.

“We need to do a comprehensive plan of flooding throughout the county,” he said during an interview following the meeting. “In Dougherty County we have lots of areas that are flooding, and that has been going on for a number of years. We need to address flooding throughout Dougherty County.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]