At the end of September 2024, Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding and landslides in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. The area, like most, was not prepared for such massive amounts of rainfall in such a short time, with 30 inches of rain falling in just three days. How could they have been more prepared? What measures do we have in place in the South River Watershed to combat the threat of flooding? The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission has been working on plans for our communities to help lessen flooding hazards. One significant mitigation measure, launched over 50 years ago, has been establishing strategically located flood-control dams. A flood-control dam is a structure, built across a river or stream, that limits the amount of water and sediment moving downstream. The dam reduces the risk of flooding for downstream communities by impounding and then releasing water in controlled amounts. It also stores water for groundwater recharge. There are 13 flood-control dams along the South River (click for details), three of which were rehabilitated in the last 20 years. The dam on an easement on the Waynesboro Nurseries property is scheduled to be rehabbed in the next year. Augusta County, the City of Waynesboro, and Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation District have partnered with the Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) to make these dams a priority.