Carters Dam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carters Dam is located south of Chatsworth in Murray County and east of Ellijay in the U.S. state of Georgia. The dam site is 26.8 miles above the mouth of the Coosawattee River. The drainage area is 376 square miles.
The dam took 15 years to build and was completed in 1977.
The area of the primary flood control pool is 3,880 acres. The top elevation of the dam is 1,112.3 feet. The top width of the dam is 40 feet.
The dam has a diversion tunnel that is 2,407 feet long. It is a horseshoe shape with a bottom width of 23 ft and a maximum height of 23 feet.
The dam is constructed of rock and earth and is the tallest earthen dam east of Mississippi river. The lake is the deepest manmade lake east of Mississippi river.
Below the dam is a 1000 acre retention and re-regulation lake. The hydroelectric plant is of the pumped storage type. That is, during off-peak hours the water from the retention lake is pumped back up into the lake for use in generating power during the next time of peak demand.
The lake is more than 450 feet deep and has 62 miles of shoreline without any private docks or other development.
