Buford Dam is a dam in Buford, Georgia which is located at the southern end of Lake Lanier,[4] a reservoir formed by the construction of the dam in 1956. The dam itself is managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Buford Dam | |
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Location of Buford Dam in Georgia Show map of GeorgiaBuford Dam (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
Country | United States |
Location | Buford, Georgia |
Coordinates | 34°09′37″N 84°04′26″W |
Purpose | Multi-purpose |
Status | Operational |
Construction began | March 1, 1950; 72 years ago (1950-03-01) |
Opening date | October 9, 1957; 65 years ago (1957-10-09) |
Operator(s) | United States Army Corps of Engineers |
Dam and spillways | |
Type of dam | Earth fill dam |
Impounds | Chattahoochee River |
Height (thalweg) | 192 ft (59 m)[1] |
Length | 1,630 ft (500 m)[2] |
Width (crest) | 40 ft (12 m)[2] |
Width (base) | 1,000 ft (300 m)[2] |
Spillways | 1[2] |
Spillway type | Uncontrolled chute[2] |
Reservoir | |
Creates | Lake Lanier |
Commission date | 1958; 64 years ago (1958)[3] |
Annual generation | 250 GWh |
The dam is made of earth and concrete,[5] supplemented by three saddle dikes,[1] and was built to provide a water source for the Atlanta area, power homes, and prevent flooding of the Chattahoochee River.[6] [7]
Congress authorized construction of the dam in 1946,[8] and in 1949 the federal government gave the State of Georgia $750,000 towards the building of the dam and accompanying powerhouse.[5]
In March 1950, a groundbreaking ceremony was held, which included dignitaries such as Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield.[6]
The United States Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the construction of the dam,[6] which began on March 1, 1950.[8]
During construction, land was bought in the area that would become the reservoir. Homes, churches, graveyards, and all other structures that would float were removed or burned.[6] Many residents in the reservoir area fought the buying of their homes with unsuccessful civil lawsuits.[6]
The powerhouse required crews to use dynamite to blast a U-shaped space through granite rock structures to hollow out an area for the powerhouse and release gates.[5] During the construction of the dam, Johnnie Callahan died during a rockslide when cutting an intake tunnel into the face of the granite rock wall.[9]
The dam was dedicated on October 9, 1957.[8] It took two years to fill the lake after the dam was complete, and the powerhouse began generating electricity a year after the lake filled.[5]
When water is released from the dam's turbines, several sirens sound as well as an AM warning broadcast.[5]
The dam also has a 13.25 ft (4.04 m) diameter sluice which can be used to allow water to bypass the turbines.[1]
Downriver from the dam is a trout breeding hatchery, which is one of the southernmost hatcheries for trout, due to the cool temperature of the water that the dam releases.[5]
The powerhouse at the dam has three generators: the main generator, a small 7.5 megawatt generator which runs constantly,[10] and two 60 megawatt generators that run twice daily during times of peak electricity demand.[8] The powerhouse provides 250 GWh (900 TJ) of electricity annually to the metro Atlanta area.[11] Control of the Buford Dam generators is done remotely from Carters Dam near Ellijay, Georgia via a microwave signal.[5][8] The power generated is delivered to Georgia Power.[1]
The powerhouse is cooled by the temperature of the water running through the dam, which is approximately 52 °F (11 °C) year-round.[5]
In 2002, the US Army Corps of Engineers spent $8.5 million to provide upgrades to the powerhouse.[12]
Because the earthen slopes on the outer side of the dam exceed 40% grade (21.8°, 1 in 2.5) and contain rocks and drop off points, they are too steep and unsafe to practically maintain by a landscaping crew.[13] To address this, the US Army Corps of Engineers use goats to maintain the grass and vegetation on the slope[8] as it is more economically viable than alternatives.[5] Goats have been used since the 1970s for this purpose, and there are sixteen goats that maintain the grounds, known as the "Chew Crew". There is also a donkey onsite that is used to protect the goats from coyotes.[13]