Two Chattahoochee River Dams To Make Way for Recreation, Ecosystem Improvements

摘要

Demolition Began Mid-March on the first of two aging dams to be removed from the Chattahoochee River near Columbus, Georgia. By removing the dams and constructing certain features in the river channel, project participants aim to create one of the world's longest urban stretches of river dedicated to white-water recreation. The project will also restore aquatic habitat and other ecological features that have long been inundated by impoundments on the river. The city of Columbus is located within the Chattahoochee's fall line, where the foothills of the Piedmont region meet the low-lying coastal plains. With its steep gradients and rock outcrops, the fall line featured numerous waterfalls before dams were constructed on the river. The largest such waterfall, the Coweta Falls, heralded the final stage in the river's fall line, creating tumultuous white-water conditions along the stretch that today includes the city of Columbus on the Georgia side and Phenix City on the Alabama side.