Georgia is a state with a lot of different and interesting pasts. It also has some very scary secrets. One of these secrets is hidden below the water of Lake Lanier, which is one of the biggest man-made lakes in the country.
In the 1950s, this lake was made by flooding several valley towns that had a graveyard, a jail farm, and other buildings. The lake is over 38,000 acres and has 692 miles of shoreline. The result is a haunted lake where hundreds of people have died and where ghosts, strange animals, and other strange things are said to live.
Lake Lanier: History
The US Army Corps of Engineers built Lake Lanier as a hydropower project to give Atlanta and the areas around it power and water. For the project, a dam had to be built on the Chattahoochee River, and the land upstream had to be flooded.
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The land was bought by the government from hundreds of people. Many of them had lived there for generations and didn’t want to sell. Some of them were forced to leave their farms and homes, and others weren’t given enough money for their things.
Also, more than 20 cemeteries were moved by the government, but some graves were left behind or weren’t marked. The lake was built over five years, from 1948 to 1953. It covered more than 50,000 acres of land, which is where the towns of Oscarville, Gainesville, and Dunlap are now.
The Ghosts of Lake Lanier
Since the lake was filled up, strange and supernatural things have been seen and heard on and near it. Here are some of the most popular stories:
At night, the ghost of a young woman in a blue dress walks around the lake looking for her lover, who was killed in a boating accident. Delia Parker Young went missing in 1958 after her car went into a lake. People say that she is her ghost. After 18 months, her body was found, but her friend Susie Roberts wasn’t found until 1990 when the car was finally found.
The ghostly arms that grab swimmers and pull them beneath, sometimes killing them. Some people think these are the arms of the people who drowned in the lake or the angry souls of the people who had to leave their homes and want to get back at living.
The strange creatures that live in the lake, like a giant catfish that can swallow a person whole or a monster that looks like Loch Ness that has been seen by many people. Some people think these are genetic changes caused by the pollution in the lake or parts of animals that died and got stuck under the water.
The strange things that happen on the lake’s surface, like sudden fog, whirlpools, and waves that no one can explain. These could be caused by the lake’s natural forces, like the wind, currents, and changes in temperature, but some people think they could also be signs of spiritual activity.
Dangers of Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier is both eerie and hazardous. The lake is known for being one of the deadliest in the country, with over 200 fatalities documented since 1994. Some of the causes for this high mortality toll are:
The lake’s bottom topography is uneven and unexpected, filled with trash, trees, and structures from drowned communities. This presents risks to boaters, divers, and swimmers, who may become entangled, hurt, or trapped. Sediment, algae, and pollution all contribute to the lake’s low sight and water quality. This makes it difficult to discern what lies beneath the surface or to locate and retrieve bodies.
Overcrowding and carelessness among lake users, frequently flout safety laws and regulations. Every year, millions of people visit the lake to enjoy leisure activities including fishing, skiing, tubing, and jet skiing. However, some of them are untrained, inebriated, or reckless, resulting in accidents or disputes with other users.
Conclusion
Lake Lanier in Georgia is more than simply a hydropower source; it hides a grim past and frightening secrets. Created in the 1950s, its waters swallowed villages, leaving behind a haunting lake teeming with restless souls, odd animals, and strange happenings.
Ghostly stories, such as Delia Parker Young’s hunt for her lost love, contribute to the lake’s allure. Nonetheless, among the supernatural, Lake Lanier is treacherous, having a dismal reputation as one of the country’s deadliest. Its uneven bottom, buried garbage, and overcrowded enjoyment have resulted in over 200 reported fatalities since 1994, warning of the dangers lurking beneath its surface.