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The Corps of Engineers' Walter F. George Lock & Dam
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Walter F. George Dam is near Ft. Gaines, GA, on the Alabama state line in
Southwest Georgia (or, if you're from Alabama, its on the Georgia state
line in Southeast Alabama!). It impounds Lake W. F. George (or, again,
if you're from Alabama, Lake Eufala), a 45,000 acre lake stretching some
85 miles up the 'hooch to Columbus, GA. The total length is given as
13,585 feet; some 12,000 feet of that is earthfill dikes on either side
of the spillway/power house. Maximum height is given as 155 feet. Normal
summer pool is 190 feet, the design flood pool is 206.6 feet. The
tailwater levels are 102 feet with no flow, or 112 feet with the
powerhouse at full blast. So, WF George is a pretty tall dam, especially
considering it is near the end of the line (ie, the Gulf of Mexico).
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As such, its lock has the second highest lift east of the Mississippi,
88 feet maximum, second only to TVA's Wilson Dam in North Alabama. The
lock is 82 feet wide by 450 feet long, stretching downstream from the
dam proper.
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The first time we were there, November 2004, there was no access to the
downstream side. This time (May 2006) the road to the powerhouse was
open. And, it was spilling... sort of. Best we could tell, the
floodgates were not actually open, but over 6 of the gates were a pair
of pipes, one at either side, where water was flowing. A siphon setup??
We never did see the other side, so... more questions!
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The powerhouse has 4 turbines with generators rated at 32.5 megawatts,
for a total of 130 megawatts. A 115 KV switchyard is located on the west
side of the dam.
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