Last updated: February 24, 2021
Place
Morgan Falls Dam
NPS/Ed Hullander Teacher/Ranger/Teacher
Quick Facts
By 1900, Atlanta had emerged as a prominent “New South” city. A post-Civil War period economic revival, which included the rebuilding of prosperous railroad lines, led to significant population growth. Important businessmen of Atlanta began to consider hydroelectric power to provide electricity to the growing population and to promote Georgia’s reputation as an economically viable state. The newly-formed Atlanta Water and Electric Power Company began construction on a massive hydroelectric dam in 1902 with Morgan Smith as the primary investor.
The dam, which provided the city’s first source of water-generated electricity, was built on a section of the Chattahoochee River now a reservoir known as Bull Sluice Lake in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Bull Sluice Lake can be viewed from the Gold Branch unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Completed in 1904, the dam was 1,031 feet long and 56 feet high. Morgan Smith did not live to see the project he had funded completed, but the board of directors of the Atlanta Water and Electric Company named the Morgan Falls Dam facility in his honor. Eventually Morgan Falls Dam became part of the Georgia Power Company. The original generators, though refurbished, are still being used to power metro Atlanta today.
The 1957 construction of Buford Dam greatly altered Morgan Falls Dam. In 1959, sixteen spillway gates were added to the Morgan Falls dam to raise the level of Bull Sluice Lake another six feet and increase the reservoir’s capacity. Other work at Morgan Falls included reinforcing the concrete walls of the dam and overhauling or replacing the old turbines. In 1964 and 1965, the powerhouse was upgraded. When Morgan Falls Dam was first built, its production capacity was 10,500 kilowatts of power. At present, the dam produces 16,800 kilowatts of power.
Although Morgan Falls Dam provides a small portion of power for the residents of Georgia today, it provides numerous benefits to the surrounding area. Flood control, wildlife habitats, and recreational opportunities are among the benefits provided by the reservoir at Bull Sluice Lake. The Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area manages the waters of Bull Sluice Lake and its surrounding trail system (Gold Branch Unit). City parks run by Roswell and Sandy Springs also provide river access points for kayakers and canoeists to enjoy on-river views of Morgan Falls Dam and Bull Sluice Lake.