Tag Archives: chattahoochee river

In the middle part of the 20th century, it was decided the Corp of Engineers would dam up the Chattahoochee River and build a man-made lake, called Lake Lanier, named after the Georgia poet Sidney Lanier who wrote the poem, “Song of the Chattahoochee.” It flows from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. Some refer to it as “The Hooch.”
 
As I understand it, Lake Lanier is the largest man-made lake in the United States, covering five counties with a shoreline of 500 miles. I live within a stone’s throw of the lake.  I view it, cross it, and use the water, but have actually never been on the lake. If I happened to fall in, I can’t swim, and definitely could not drink it dry. Therefore, it’s just one of those things I enjoy looking at. Nevertheless, for thousands of others into boating and fishing, it provides a great recreation area. Surrounded by many parks and boat docks, Lake Lanier is a huge tourist attraction.
 
This past year, the severe drought dried up so much of the lake that in the hundreds of inlets, one could see the bottom, and many boats were left high and dry. The recent heavy rains are refilling, but there’s a ways to go before it’s up to its normal capacity.