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West Point Lake AI simulator
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Hub AI
West Point Lake AI simulator
(@West Point Lake_simulator)
West Point Lake
West Point Lake is a man-made reservoir located mostly in west-central Georgia on the Chattahoochee River and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (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. Of the four major USACE lakes in the ACF River Basin, West Point Lake is the smallest by area containing 25,864 acres (10,467 ha) of water, and has the second shortest shoreline at 604 mi (972 km). The purposes of the reservoir are to provide flood control, hydroelectric power, and water storage to aid the navigation of the lower Chattahoochee.
Authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1962, West Point Lake was built for several purposes and cost an estimated $105 million. Two major uses of the lake prescribed are power generation 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 300 to 500 feet (91 to 152 m) buffer from the water edge. This was done by using the flood pool level of 641 feet (195 m) above sea level or 300 feet (91 m) from the summer pool of 635 feet (194 m), whichever was greater. This resulted in a total of 56,638 acres (22,921 ha) 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 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 565 feet (172 m) above mean sea level (aMSL) to 617 feet (188 m) 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 9 feet (2.7 m) deep waterway on the Apalachicola River. After building West Point Lake, it was decided to raise the winter pool from 625 to 628 feet (191 to 191 m) 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 is a 896 ft × 132 ft × 20.5 ft (273.1 m × 40.2 m × 6.2 m)(LxHxD) concrete dam completed in 1975. The top of the dam is at 652 feet (199 m) above sea level. It has a 321 feet (98 m) long and 164.5 feet (50.1 m) 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 350 feet (110 m) 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 7,250 feet (2,210 m) 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 442,295 to 774,798 acre-feet (545,563,000 to 955,699,000 m3) of water. During construction, rock was excavated should West Point need to add a navigable lock in the future to the right bank.
West Point Lake begins at West Point Dam, 201.4 river miles (324.1 river km) north of the mouth of the Chattahoochee River, which is just north of the Jim Woodruff Dam or 3.2 river miles (5.1 river km) north of West Point, GA. West Point Lake is within 50 air miles (80 air km) of many semi-major cities in Georgia and Alabama. In Georgia it has: Columbus, LaGrange, Newnan, Peachtree City, Carrollton and some parts of Atlanta. In Alabama it has: Phenix City, Opelika-Auburn, 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 or West Point to cross the river. At times, the West Point Dam can be crossed for a slightly shorter southern path.
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 was created with a size of 8,952 acres (3,623 ha). In addition to the West Point Wildlife Management Area, two other wildlife management areas were created, Dixie Creek Area at 711 acres (288 ha) and Glover's Creek Area at 337 acres (136 ha). The Bald eagle 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 and cottonmouth. 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, 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.
West Point Lake
West Point Lake is a man-made reservoir located mostly in west-central Georgia on the Chattahoochee River and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (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. Of the four major USACE lakes in the ACF River Basin, West Point Lake is the smallest by area containing 25,864 acres (10,467 ha) of water, and has the second shortest shoreline at 604 mi (972 km). The purposes of the reservoir are to provide flood control, hydroelectric power, and water storage to aid the navigation of the lower Chattahoochee.
Authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1962, West Point Lake was built for several purposes and cost an estimated $105 million. Two major uses of the lake prescribed are power generation 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 300 to 500 feet (91 to 152 m) buffer from the water edge. This was done by using the flood pool level of 641 feet (195 m) above sea level or 300 feet (91 m) from the summer pool of 635 feet (194 m), whichever was greater. This resulted in a total of 56,638 acres (22,921 ha) 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 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 565 feet (172 m) above mean sea level (aMSL) to 617 feet (188 m) 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 9 feet (2.7 m) deep waterway on the Apalachicola River. After building West Point Lake, it was decided to raise the winter pool from 625 to 628 feet (191 to 191 m) 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 is a 896 ft × 132 ft × 20.5 ft (273.1 m × 40.2 m × 6.2 m)(LxHxD) concrete dam completed in 1975. The top of the dam is at 652 feet (199 m) above sea level. It has a 321 feet (98 m) long and 164.5 feet (50.1 m) 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 350 feet (110 m) 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 7,250 feet (2,210 m) 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 442,295 to 774,798 acre-feet (545,563,000 to 955,699,000 m3) of water. During construction, rock was excavated should West Point need to add a navigable lock in the future to the right bank.
West Point Lake begins at West Point Dam, 201.4 river miles (324.1 river km) north of the mouth of the Chattahoochee River, which is just north of the Jim Woodruff Dam or 3.2 river miles (5.1 river km) north of West Point, GA. West Point Lake is within 50 air miles (80 air km) of many semi-major cities in Georgia and Alabama. In Georgia it has: Columbus, LaGrange, Newnan, Peachtree City, Carrollton and some parts of Atlanta. In Alabama it has: Phenix City, Opelika-Auburn, 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 or West Point to cross the river. At times, the West Point Dam can be crossed for a slightly shorter southern path.
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 was created with a size of 8,952 acres (3,623 ha). In addition to the West Point Wildlife Management Area, two other wildlife management areas were created, Dixie Creek Area at 711 acres (288 ha) and Glover's Creek Area at 337 acres (136 ha). The Bald eagle 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 and cottonmouth. 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, 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.
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