A project to restore the eroding shoreline of the Chattahoochee River at Morgan Falls Overlook Park will restrict access to a portion of the sidewalk where kayakers put in and to the boat dock until 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Dock access hours are posted on site. (Submitted)

The City of Sandy Springs began the work that includes bringing 240 tons of fieldstone boulders to armor the shoreline. The absence of plants can cause erosion because root systems from natural vegetation keep soil in place, which helps prevent shoreline erosion.

“We are live staking among and above the boulders, so that vegetation can weather the environment and work in tandem with the stone to protect the shoreline and provide a vegetative, natural cover,” Steve Ciaccio, deputy director of the Recreation and Parks Department, said in a release.

The sidewalk next to the Paddle Shack at Overlook Park – where kayakers usually access the water – will be closed during the project. The public can access the boat dock via the stairs on the north end of the park on weekdays after 5 p.m. and throughout the weekend.

During weekday work hours on the project access to the dock is restricted. (Submitted)

The estimated project completion date is this summer.

The city first obtained required approvals from Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division and the National Park Service.

The Chattahoochee River starts in the northeast corner of Georgia in the Appalachian Mountains and flows southwest through the metro Atlanta area. The river continues to form half of the border between Alabama and Georgia before emptying into Lake Seminole at the Florida-Georgia border. The river flows a total distance of 434 miles through Georgia, passing around the City of Sandy Springs before it reaches its destination.

The fieldstone is being placed at the shoreline to “armor” the banks of the Chattahoochee where the rising and falling water has caused erosion. (Submitted)

The Chattahoochee River has 22 linear miles of shoreline around the Sandy Springs city limits.

Overlook Park is a 30-acre riverside park that includes picnic pavilions, a playground, hiking trails, a fire pit, scenic views, and a boat dock for kayaking and fishing.

Georgia Power controls water levels at Overlook Park at the Morgan Falls Hydro Plant, a dam located in Sandy Springs. Erosion has occurred on the shoreline of Overlook Park near and around the boat dock because the control efforts cause water levels to rise and fall.

Bob Pepalis covers Sandy Springs for Rough Draft Atlanta and Reporter Newspapers.