Major infrastructure such as bridges and water intakes were relocated.īut … the community had a cemetery. Barns and wooden structures that could float and endanger watercraft were moved. They uprooted trees and hauled them away.
To prepare the land to be filled with water, the Army Corps of Engineers demolished or moved anything they considered dangerous. Today Lake Lanier has about 625 billion gallons of water – the equivalent of 950,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Some families later regretted their decision once they realized they couldn’t survive on what the government offered, Russell told CNN.īut the lake brought multiple benefits, including flood protection from the Chattahoochee, which flows west of Atlanta. Named for poet Sidney Lanier, the lake was built in the 1950s to provide electric power, water and flood protection. Eventually they decided to name it after Sidney Lanier, an 18th-century Georgia poet who wrote “Song of the Chattahoochee.” Others sought to name it after a legendary football coach. Some local officials wanted to name it after Georgia politicians. Whatever they had abandoned was covered by the the rising waters.Įven the lake’s naming was contentious, Russell said. To them, their land was priceless.”Įventually, some 700 families sold a total of 56,000 acres to the government, which built a dam on the Chattahoochee River to form the lake.Īs their land filled with water in 1956, locals jammed roads and bridges to watch as history vanished before their eyes. “At first, the government assured land owners that they were being paid for the true value of the land and buildings, but residents found it hard to price generations of memories, hard work and deep roots,” Russell wrote in her book, “Underwater Ghost Towns of North Georgia.” “A host of emotions accompanied the talk of relocation: anger, resentment, fear, anxiety, bewilderment and apprehension. The Army Corps flooded farmland bought from hundreds of families to create Lake Lanier. But the true backstory of Lake Lanier, built over an underwater ghost town, is just as interesting. The stories about mysterious underwater sightings are eerie – especially at Halloween. And the Netflix drama “Ozark,” which has its own high body count, films scenes at the lake. More than 200 people have died in swimming and boating accidents on the lake since 1994, adding to its dark history. Historians say some unmarked graves and other structures were swallowed up by its waters. The lake was created in the 1950s by flooding valley communities that contained a cemetery, fueling beliefs that it’s cursed. But supernatural lore and urban legends about the lake have found a receptive audience on social media, where they’ve found legions of believers. To many Georgians the large, serpentine lake northeast of Atlanta is a recreational hotspot, popular for boating and water sports. These and other spooky tales have haunted Lake Lanier, in the foothills of the northern Georgia mountains, for decades. Angry spirits call people home to submerged graves. Mysterious arms reach out for swimmers from the watery depths. “Depending on how much rainfall is in our future, high lake levels will continue for at least a few more months.Legend has it the ghost of a long-dead woman roams this lake in a flowing blue dress. "The water is so high, a lot of the power boxes are underwater, or power cords are underwater, which creates an electrical shock concern. I would just advise anyone out on the lake to use extreme caution for both electricity and floating debris,” Cloud said. "In 30 years, I can count on one hand as many times as I've seen the lake this high,” Davis said. But now, there’s a lot of dangerous debris in the lake and high water is to blame. He said in recent years, recurring drought conditions caused the need to have docks towed out farther into the water. "We come out by water and physically move docks in or out,” Kyle Davis said.ĭavis works for Marine Specialties, a company that moves floating docks. Or you could hire a company to bring the dock back to dry land. "So, to access your dock, to get to your boat, to get to anything that's on your dock, you have to wade through the water to get to it,” Cloud said. Several offensive stars leaving Georgia early for NFL Draft.Tax refunds could be delayed due to government shutdown.Teen accused of killing missing father wanted in at least 1 other murder.The water level has risen 2 feet over the last few days, covering most of the gangways.
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