COLUMBIA – A letter sent to LongCreek Plantation residents earlier this month by Paul D. de Holczer, Assistant Chief Counsel for South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), warned residents that erosion appears along the shoulder of Longtown Road East that runs across the top of the Lake Columbia dam.
“That erosion is creeping toward the edge of the pavement and, unless checked, will eventually undermine the pavement,” de Holczer stated.
The landowner, de Holczer wrote, has several options:
- Repair the dam to standards of the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), and SCDOT will maintain the road over the dam.
- Abandon the dam in accordance with acceptable engineering practices and SCDES regulations and relinquish the right to SCDOT to reconstruct the road by providing an avenue to allow water to pass underneath the roadway. This option would drain Lake Columbia.
- Not repair the dam. SCDOT would make a determination in that case as to the necessity of the road. If SCDOT determines the road is not a necessary part of the state highway system, SCDOT could remove the road from the State Highway system. If no party chooses to maintain the road, an interested party could petition the court to have the road permanently closed to public use.
“To be clear,” de Holczer wrote, “SCDOT is willing to operate and maintain Longtown Road East over Longtown Dam if the dam is maintained to the appropriate engineering standard. If the erosion continues, SCDOT will be compelled to reduce the speed limit and impose weight restrictions on the road. If the erosion creates a dangerous situation for the public, SCDOT must close the section of Longtown Road East over the dam.”
The issue arose June 30, 2025, when SCDES (S. C. Department of Environmental Services) petitioned the S.C. Administrative Law Court for enforcement and injunctive relief based on the failure of Longtown Road East’s owners (Fairways Development, LLC; the Windermere Club, LLC; and Lake Holding Company, Inc.) to comply with the terms and requirements of Inspection and Repair Order 25-001-W for Lake Columbia Dam.
Before the Court issued a Notice of Hearing on the matter, the parties settled and filed a Consent Order on Feb. 3, 2026.
According to de Holczer, Dan Creel, a professional engineer, has been consulted by the landowner to determine what actions are necessary for the repair of the dam.
“We hope that this letter will encourage major stakeholders in the neighborhood to work together to address the erosion affecting Longtown Dam,” de Holczer wrote.
“SCDOT looks forward to reviewing an Encroachment Permit application for the repair of the dam. We hope the dam can be repaired in the near future to avoid SCDOT having to close the road,” he wrote.
