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,[9] and in 1949 the federal government gave the State of Georgia $750,000 (equivalent to $9,122,407 in 2024[10]) towards the building of the dam and accompanying powerhouse.[5]
On March 1, 1950, a groundbreaking ceremony was held, which included dignitaries such as Atlanta mayor William B. Hartsfield.[6][9] The United States Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the construction of the dam.[6]
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.[11]
On February 1, 1956, the dam was completed when the sluice gates were closed and Lake Lanier began to fill.[12] Unit 2 began operation on June 20, 1957, Unit 3 on July 26, 1957, and Unit 1 on October 10, 1957.[13] The dam was dedicated on October 9, 1957.[9] The power plant went into full-scale operation in July 1958,[13] and the lake reached its intended level on August 1 of that year.[14]
Operation
The intake structure
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]
Powerhouse
The powerhouse at the dam has three generators: the main generator, a small 7.5 megawatt generator which runs constantly,[15] and two 60 megawatt generators that run twice daily during times of peak electricity demand.[9] The powerhouse provides 250 GWh (900 TJ) of electricity annually to the metro Atlanta area.[16] Control of the Buford Dam generators is done remotely from Carters Dam near Ellijay, Georgia via a microwave signal.[5][9] 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.[17]
Goats
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.[18] To address this, the US Army Corps of Engineers use goats to maintain the grass and vegetation on the slope[9] 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.[18]
