Columbia Council Approves Canal Repair Contracts

Columbia City Council approved two contracts Tuesday to repair the historic Columbia Canal system, moving forward a multi-year recovery effort funded by HUD Mitigation grants and city capital improvement dollars.

The council authorized a contract amendment for construction engineering, inspection work for headgate replacement, design work for the hydroelectric generating station, and stability analysis of spillway gates and the historic pumping station. A separate construction contract for replacing the canal headgates will take an estimated 27 months to complete. The work addresses federal compliance requirements while restoring functionality to the city's water infrastructure.

Assistant City Manager Clint Shealy presented the Columbia Water investment plan during a morning budget workshop. Assistant City Manager Missy Caughman led the afternoon workshop launching the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget planning process, which begins July 1, 2026. Additional workshops continue through June.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann honored the C.A. Johnson High School boys basketball team for winning the 2026 Class A State Championship, declaring April 26 "C.A. Johnson High School Boys Basketball Team Day."

The mayor also designated April 2026 as "Monarch Butterfly Month" to highlight declining monarch populations and promote native milkweed and nectar plant education.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart presented a proclamation designating Finlay Park as South Carolina's first "Purple Heart Park," joining the Purple Heart Trail program, a national network established in 1992 to honor Purple Heart recipients.

Residents can view the full council meeting at youtube.com/live/21DK9IjsY7c. Council agendas are available at columbiacitysc.iqm2.com/Citizens/calendar.aspx. Information about Columbia Water projects is at growth.columbiasc.gov.