The cofferdam on the Columbia side of Congaree River, between the Gervais and Blossom street bridges, is no longer flooded. A photo from mid-December by the Congaree Riverkeeper ( Link to Congaree Riverkeeper ) showed the cofferdam to be over flowing with water after the river crested at 12 feet.

Work at the site has slowed since the summer, because the river is prone to high water in the winter. Crews will pick up a more rapid work pace in the spring.

The cofferdam was being built by a company commissioned by Dominion Energy. The dam has sectioned off an accumulation of black tar that was deposited in the river several decades ago.

The plan is to remove black tar that came from a from a Columbia gas plant that opened in 1906. The plant closed in 1954. There was also the expectation that munitions, dumped into the river by Union troops during The Civil War would be found. So far, there have been no reports of Civil War artifacts.