West Point Lake
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West Point Lake is a man-made reservoir located mostly in west-central Georgia on the
Chattahoochee River The Chattahoochee River forms the southern half of the Alabama and Georgia border, as well as a portion of the Florida - Georgia border. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chatta ...
and maintained by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...
(USACE). The Chattahoochee river flows in from the north, before flowing through the West Point Dam, which impounds the lake, and continuing to
Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...
. Of the four major USACE lakes in the
ACF River Basin The ACF River Basin is the drainage basin, or watershed, of the Apalachicola River, Chattahoochee River, and Flint River, in the Southeastern United States. This area is alternatively known as simply the Apalachicola Basin and is listed by t ...
, West Point Lake is the smallest by area containing of water, and has the second shortest shoreline at . The purposes of the reservoir are to provide flood control, hydroelectric power, and water storage to aid the navigation of the lower Chattahoochee.


History

Authorized by the
Flood Control Act of 1962 A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...
, West Point Lake was built for several purposes and cost an estimated $105 million. Two major uses of the lake prescribed are
power generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery ( transmission, distribution, etc.) to end users or its stor ...
and recreation. The smaller percentage uses are: flood control, Fish and Wildlife, Area Redevelopment, and Navigation. In the master plan, it was decided to have a buffer from the water edge. This was done by using the flood pool level of above sea level or from the summer pool of , whichever was greater. This resulted in a total of of land being acquired and owned by the USACE. After being approved in 1964, construction began in 1965 with the west embankment and powerhouse access road being completed first in 1966. Also in 1966, a team discovered sites of archaeological significance and important sites were studied until 1971 before the lake was filled. When the lake was flooded, the floodplain would contain two historic covered bridges that would be inundated. The Wehadkee Creek bridge was privately salvaged in 1965 and relocated to
Callaway Gardens Callaway Resort & Gardens is a resort complex located near Pine Mountain in Harris County, Georgia, from LaGrange, Georgia. The world's largest azalea garden, this destination draws over 750,000 visitors annually. Callaway Gardens was ranked ...
while Glass' bridge was burned in 1954 as it was the only efficient means of destruction. The main channel was closed in May 1967 and diverted through the east bank. The dam itself began construction in May 1968 and was later completed in August 1970. The next closure was on June 21, 1973, as the river was routed through an opening for a future generator. The first generator was completed in May 1974; however, diking problems did not allow filling of the lake to begin until October 16, 1974. West Point Lake was filled from the river level at above mean sea level (aMSL) to aMSL. Due to continuing construction, the lake would not be allowed to fill any higher until April 30, 1975, after another power unit was completed. A major factor in building West Point Lake was navigation. A goal of the ACF river basin is to maintain a deep waterway on the
Apalachicola River The Apalachicola River is a river, approximately 160 mi (180 km) long in the state of Florida. The river's large watershed, known as the ACF River Basin, drains an area of approximately into the Gulf of Mexico. The distance to its fa ...
. After building West Point Lake, it was decided to raise the winter pool from aMSL. Before this, Walter F. George Lake and West Point Lake could not both be filled to their summer pools by the end of May without sacrificing water flow downstream and starving the Apalachicola River of needed water for navigation. This was not done earlier out of fear of flooding downstream during heavy rain periods.


West Point Dam

West Point Dam is a (LxHxD) concrete dam completed in 1975. The top of the dam is at above sea level. It has a long and deep power generation building which houses three main 48.8 MW units and one small 3.3 MW unit on the western portion of the dam and a spillway on the eastern portion, both which are controlled via microwave link at Walter F. George Lake with a local override. There are earth embankments that total long with the dam and there is a roadway on top of the embankments and concrete that allows the public to cross the dam. Depending on water level, the dam holds back anywhere from of water. During construction, rock was excavated should West Point need to add a navigable lock in the future to the right bank.


Location and surroundings

West Point Lake begins at West Point Dam, north of the mouth of the Chattahoochee River, which is just north of the Jim Woodruff Dam or north of West Point, GA. West Point Lake is within of many semi-major cities in Georgia and Alabama. In Georgia it has:
Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...
,
LaGrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaNewnan Newnan is a city in Metro Atlanta and the county seat of Coweta County, Georgia, about southwest of Atlanta. Its population was 42,549 at the 2020 census, up from 33,039 in 2010. History Newnan was established as county seat of Coweta Coun ...
, Peachtree City, Carrollton and some parts of
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. In Alabama it has:
Phenix City Phenix City is a city in Lee and Russell counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and the county seat of Russell County. As of the 2020 Census, the population of the city was 38,817. Phenix City lies immediately west across the Chattahoochee ...
,
Opelika-Auburn The Auburn Metropolitan Area—officially the Auburn-Opelika, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area—is a metro area in east-central Alabama with a 2016 population of 158,991. It was the 19th fastest growing metro area in the United States bet ...
, and Roanoke. Both sides of the lake are easily accessible from their respective sides, however crossing the lake can prove challenging as there are only two bridges that cross the main channel. Without crossing directly over the lake, one must go to
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
or West Point to cross the river. At times, the West Point Dam can be crossed for a slightly shorter southern path.


Wildlife and flora

When West Point Lake was filled, habitats for deer, dove, quail, and waterfowl were lost which caused important migratory bird routes to be disturbed. As such, the
West Point Wildlife Management Area West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
was created with a size of . In addition to the West Point Wildlife Management Area, two other wildlife management areas were created, Dixie Creek Area at and Glover's Creek Area at . An endangered species, the
Bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...
, is frequently seen in this part of the lake. There are many animals, including some harmful to humans, in and around the area. Two snakes known to the area that are venomous are the
copperhead Copperhead may refer to: Snakes * ''Agkistrodon contortrix'', or copperhead, a venomous pit viper species found in parts of North America * ''Austrelaps'', or Australian copperhead, a genus of venomous elapids found in southern Australia and Tas ...
and
cottonmouth ''Agkistrodon piscivorus'' is a species of pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. It is one of the world's few semiaquatic vipers (along with the Florida cottonmouth), and is native to the southeastern United States. As ...
. There are a few species of plants and animals that are tracked and knowingly occur in the area of West Point Lake. Three fish in this list are the bluestripe shiner,
southern brook lamprey The southern brook lamprey (''Ichthyomyzon gagei'') is a lamprey found in the Southern United States including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. It is a jawless fish with a sucking mouth on one end of it (like a leech). It ...
, and the highscale shiner. Only one bird is on this tracked list, the bachman's sparrow, along with 19 plants that include a sunflower, azalea, and a strawberry plant. Many types of common animals found in the southeastern United States are also found in the West Point Lake area including different species of bass, crappie, waterfowl, snakes, and turtles. The American alligator has been spotted in the area however very rare. With the wildlife previously mentioned, West Point Lake is a location where one has the ability to partake in hunting, fishing, shooting, and general wildlife viewing.


Access and recreation


Access

There are four types of access, known as shoreline allocations, at West Point Lake. ; Limited Development : Private floating facilities and some land activities may be authorized such as a dock or improved walkway and requires a permit from the USACE. There are approximately or 25 percent of the total shoreline miles allocated to this type. ; Protected : Contrary to limited development, private docks are prohibited unless grandfathered in. This area is a buffer meant to protect aesthetics, habitats, conflicts, and more between areas and was designed to comply with the
National Environmental Policy Act The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a United States environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The law was enacted on January 1, 1970.Un ...
. This allocation requires a permit from the USACE and only allows a wide meandering pathway. There are approximately or 28.8 percent of the total shoreline miles allocated to this type. ; Prohibited : The shortest of the four allocations at , this allocation has prohibited or restricted access. The main area is close to the West Point Dam to protect boats and life from danger. ; Public Recreation : This area is for past or present public use and private use is prohibited. There are approximately or 46.1 percent of the total shoreline miles allocated to this type. This is the largest single allocation of West Point Lake. West Point Lake has the highest shoreline mileage and percentage of total shoreline miles allocated to public recreation areas of all USACE lakes in the ACF river basin. Thus making West Point Lake the most publicly accessible USACE lake in the basin. In addition to the large available public areas, the land buffer around the lake, regardless of allocation, is considered public land. With the exception of personal property (a boat dock) and the prohibited areas, the public is allowed anywhere on this buffer as an issued permit does not allow private exclusive rights anywhere on USACE property.


Recreation

In 2016, West Point Lake recorded 36 parks, 2 marinas, and 7 campgrounds. West Point Lake does not have its recreational areas concentrated in any one area of the lake, however, a large percentage of shoreline south of
Georgia State Route 109 State Route 109 (SR 109) is a state highway that runs west-to-east through portions of Troup, Meriwether, Pike, and Lamar counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Georgia. The route travels from the Alabama state line to at S ...
is public access. During the first three years of operation, there were only 26 parks available for a total of but annual visitation increased yearly from one million in 1976 to 4.2 million by 1981. Later, visitation numbers were affected greatly as water pollution increased from nearby
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. Visitation numbers are unknown today, however many flock to lake during the annual fireworks display at Pyne Road Park that are accessible by boat or land.


Watershed and geology

The Chattahoochee River basin near West Point Lake is elongated and is on average wide by long and contains an area of north of the West Point Dam. The Chattahoochee River flows in a southwest direction for to arrive at the West Point Dam after starting in the
Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
in north Georgia. The northern portion of the river basin is in the Blue Ridge Region, but the middle region, where West Point is located, is in the Piedmont Region, north of the
fall line A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coa ...
. This produces rolling hills around the lake with the exception of the nearby Pine Mountain Range. The lake and other parts of the region contains soils with high iron-oxides and are clay-rich that make Georgia famous. Granite and soapstone are common minerals in area. The entire area of the Chattahoochee River basin is


Pollution

The lake is sometimes criticized and brought into negative public light due to being the first impoundment south of Atlanta. Scientists were strongly attracted to West Point Lake for this reason and were eager to study the lake and the river. Studies were done in the early 1990s in detail to determine the effects of the urban environment on the lake.


Pre-lawsuit

Starting in the late 1970s, the lake was beginning to have water quality issues, which affected lake usership and eventually caused local economic damage. On 19 July 1988, the water being released from the lake downstream had become eutrophic and thus killing fish in the river. In February 1991, the GA Department of Natural Resources issued a fish consumption advisory for the lake, which extended downstream to Lake Harding on March 3. Also in 1991, as pollution damage was realized, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GEPD) and the City of
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
made a timetable to reduce phosphorus by the late 1990s. Atlanta continually failed to reduce pollution and was threatened by the GEPD with fines and sewer bans. This had the ability to damage the economics around the
1996 Olympic Games The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
and further increase the amount of daily fines by $10,000. The daily fines were already at $9,000 per day and had totalled $20 million by 1997 for failing to complete sewer overflow treatment systems.


Lawsuit to today

On October 10, 1995, the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeepers filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta for violation of the
Clean Water Act The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...
by not upgrading facilities to meet standards. In 1998, two Federal Consent Decrees were ordered for the City of Atlanta to address its under-maintained wastewater system. In addressing the issues, a program was created at a cost of $4 billion that removed over 400 million gallons a year of sewer drainage into the rivers. In another part of the lawsuit, the City of Atlanta was issued a $2.5 million fine and volunteered to remove trash and establish greenways. In 1998, an investigation for
polychlorinated biphenyls Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly carcinogenic chemical compounds, formerly used in industrial and consumer products, whose production was banned in the United States by the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, Toxic Substances Contro ...
(PCBs) was completed and found fish contaminated. However this data is slightly misleading as Georgia does not use PCBs anymore thus contaminated fish are older from previous years. As of 2012, 97 percent of sewage from the 1990s was removed and expected to keep improving. In 2015 and 2017, bacteria levels were tested and published in the media showing normal and safe levels. The lake is tested regularly to the
United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
standards, results are posted for public view, and court admissible.


Climate

Many factors affect the lake and its basin. West Point Lake is in the southern end of the temperate zone and close to both the Atlantic Ocean and the
Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
which can bring tropical storms and hurricanes to the area. Thunderstorms produce much of the rainfall during the summer months as well as frontal systems. Flood inducing storms are most likely to occur in the area during winter and early spring as fronts. During the summer, convective thunderstorms are the leading source of rainfall with the occasional tropical storm. Snowfall can occur but rarely covers the ground for more than a few days. For the West Point Lake area as a whole, the record low is in LaGrange, GA on February 2, 1899, with the record high at in LaFayette, AL and Rock Mills, AL in late July 1952. Most of the time, rainfall is evenly distributed over all four seasons with a yearly average of .


References


External links


West Point Lake - US Army Corps of EngineersWest Point Lake News, Information, Lake Levels, Weather and more
{{authority control LWestPoint Protected areas of Chambers County, Alabama Bodies of water of Chambers County, Alabama Chattahoochee River Protected areas of Heard County, Georgia West Point Protected areas of Troup County, Georgia Dams in Georgia (U.S. state) United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Bodies of water of Heard County, Georgia Bodies of water of Troup County, Georgia