SAVANNAH, Ga. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake Project hosted a preliminary volunteer event at the West Dam Day Use Area, April 26, 2025.
This was the first volunteer event the Thurmond Project has been able to safely hold since Hurricane Helene travelled through Georgia in late September.
This small but meaningful initiative brought together a group of dedicated community members who, united by a shared passion for the park, kept recovery efforts at Thurmond moving forward.
“We wanted to create a safe and structured event for our volunteers,” said Hannah Sue Hulpke, J. Strom Thurmond Dam and Lake Project park ranger and volunteer coordinator. “With limited resources, this smaller group allowed us to focus on safety while still accomplishing the goal of cleaning up the area.”
While community members were eager to support clean up efforts immediately after the storm, the Thurmond team recognized that hazardous conditions, such as falling branches and unstable trees, would take time to stabilize before safely welcoming community help.
“We love our community and love that they are as passionate about the parks as we are,” said Hulpke. “And their safety comes first.”
The Thurmond Project closed most of its recreation areas following Hurricane Helene and has spent the past six months working to reopen as many as possible using limited Operation and Maintenance funds. These funds have primarily been directed toward restoring boat ramps and hunter access points, while Day Use Areas and Campgrounds were slated for future debris removal and infrastructure repairs through requested emergency supplemental funding.
Separately, a timber salvage mission began in forest areas of the Thurmond Project, but with emergency supplemental funding still pending, the Project has shifted focus and reallocated efforts to Day Use Areas and Campgrounds.
The Project’s O&M contractor began work in the West Dam Day Use Area on March 31, 2025, and as a result, significantly improved safety conditions, making it possible for volunteers to lend a hand.
Many community members contacted the Thurmond Project’s visitor center, expressing interest in volunteering after Hurricane Helene. The event was intentionally kept small to provide better oversight and ensure the event ran smoothly.
Park rangers provided the necessary gear to handle debris safely, but asked volunteers to wear close-toed shoes, long pants, and bring their own gloves. The volunteers covered certain areas of the West Dam Day Use Area, picking up various types of debris that had accumulated since the storm.
As timber salvage operations and O&M debris clean up continues throughout the Thurmond Project, the park rangers hope to have more volunteer opportunities in the future, designed with safety as the top priority.