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Lake History:
Then and now
The building of a dam
On November 22, 1955 you get a bird’s eye view of the
Hartwell Dam site looking downstream from the future reservoir area
(Fig. 1). The rural setting of this project is very evident in this
photograph. The dam was constructed in the middle of nowhere as were
most of the dams on the Savannah and Chattahoochee rivers. The
forest literally fills the entire landscape as far as the eye can
see.
Most of the river in the upper foreground is part of
the Richard Russell Project today but at the time this photograph
was taken it was still a considered site project known as Trotters
Shoal. The dotted lines in the background represent where the
concrete portion of the dam will stretch across the Savannah River
in about five years. The Georgia and South Carolina earth
embankments have been completed for some time now and site
preparation for the concrete portion of the dam will begin soon. The
U.S. 29 bridge has yet to be relocated across the Savannah River
below the dam site. At this time the old U.S. 29 site a mile or so
upstream from here is still the major thoroughfare for traffic north
and south.
You can also see the area where the Georgia quarry
will be located. The quarry will provide the aggregate needed for
the concrete that will be mixed on the project site for the dam and
other major construction.
Move forward in time (Fig. 2) nearly five years, on
June 10, 1959, and work on the area has transformed the rural forest
setting to a bustling construction site. The landscape below the
relocated U.S. 29 bridge does not appear to change at all but most
of the foreground has changed dramatically. Men and machines are
affecting work on a multi-million dollar public works project that
will in a relatively short time create a 50,000-acre reservoir with
over 750 miles of shoreline. The relocated U.S. 29 bridge now spans
the river below the dam and block construction of the dam is well
under way.
Nine months later on April 22, 1960 (Fig. 3) and
concrete blocks completely seal off the river and force the water at
this site to back-up in the immediate area adjacent to the dam for
about a mile upstream from this point. This will create a shallow
version of the reservoir until impoundment officially begins about
10 months from now.
Fifteen months later on July 26, 1961 (Fig. 4) and
the reservoir is nearing full at elevation 660. If you were to move
this view into the future to today not much will have changed. The
contrast between Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 though is dramatic. In a little
over six years the Corps of Engineers has made sweeping changes in
the area. This once tranquil scene has gone from being a narrow
river moving through a forest landscape to a huge reservoir
providing flood protection, electrical power on demand, a valuable
water resources, navigation benefits, wildlife refuse, and
recreation for millions.
 Fig.
1: This rural setting at the boundary of Georgia and South
Carolina will soon be transformed into a huge construction site for
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Fig. 2: Dam construction is well under way and
the relocated U.S. 29 bridge and highway have been completed and
await traffic.
 Fig.
3: The river has backed up behind the completed dam to a depth
of about 16 feet and will remain at this constant elevation until
early 1961.
 Fig.
4: Hartwell Lake’s elevation is close to normal pool and most of
the reservoir land seen in the previous photographs is now hidden
from view. About the only thing unchanged from the first photograph
is the river topography below the U.S. 29 (Louie Morris Memorial)
bridge.
 David Coughlin is researching
and preparing to write a book about the history of Hartwell Lake and
its dam. For more information visit
www.hartwelllakehistory.com.
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