Chattahoochee River Project

Colonial Pipeline began routine maintenance on its system along the Chattahoochee River banks near the Johnson Ferry Trail in March 2023. The project includes some work in the river and is expected to last until early spring 2024.

This preventative maintenance work was planned in coordination with the National Park Service and Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, among others. Park visitors might notice trail closures, tree clearing, and staging of equipment, all necessary for the project.

Colonial has deployed spans of boom in the river and adjacent to the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority water intakes; however, this is simply a proactive measure to help protect the public and the environment while work is being performed. Colonial is not experiencing a release and there is no product in the water.

Colonial is working with the City of Sandy Springs and the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority to ensure public safety and that the environment is protected and requirements set forth in operational permits are fulfilled. We appreciate your patience as we work to complete this planned, preventative maintenance-related project.

10/31/2023 Update: Colonial Pipeline work won’t stop recreation on the Chattahoochee

by Bob Pepalis April 7, 2023 | 1:58 pm

Colonial Pipeline will spend up to a year performing maintenance on a pipeline that runs under the Chattahoochee River from National Park Service (NPS) land in East Cobb to Sandy Springs.

Little told the Sandy Springs City Council at its April 4 meeting that Colonial will inspect a portion of the pipeline and install a sleeve, which will protect the original pipe from external damage and may extend its life.

To access the pipe, a temporary bridge will be built across the river approximately 1.6 miles downstream of the Georgia Power hydro-dam at Morgan Falls and just upstream from the Johnson Ferry bridge. A coffer dam, a watertight enclosure from which water is pumped to expose the riverbed to permit the work, will be installed to access the pipe, according to Terry Mock, a right-of-way consultant for Colonial.

Only one section of the trail is closed on the Cobb County side of the Chattahoochee, Allyson Read, NPS Natural Resource Specialist, said.

“They’re going to have a lot of safety features in place including buoys, notifying visitors both upstream and downstream,” she said.

Signs will be erected to warn recreational users of the river about the pipeline work.

Some height markings will be made on the bridge piers to let people on the river know much clearance they’ll have from the bridge down to the river, Read said. It will only be a worry when the water runs unusually high. Enough room will be available for a standup paddleboarder to float on the river.

The coffer dam will go out 60 feet and the river is 273 feet wide in that area, Read said.

“They’ve done a lot of work with us to minimize impacts on recreation on the river and on the land, too,” she said.

Story was originally published in RoughDraft Atlanta on April 7, 2023. To view the article, click here.

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