Q. What is the deepest part of Lake Lanier?
A. The deepest part of the lake is located on the north side of Buford Dam in the original river channel at elevation 911 feet above mean sea level. When the lake is at its full level (1071msl) the lake at this point is 160 feet in depth.
Q. What is the record high lake level?
A. The record high was in April of 1964 when the lake reached elevation 1077.2 msl which was approximately 6 feet above its full level.
Q. What is the record low lake level?
A. The record low occurred in December of 2007 when the lake fell to elevation 1050.79 msl which was approximately 20 feet below its full level.
Q. Is there a town under Lake Lanier?
A. No, when land for constructing the lake was acquired in the early 1950s the area was mostly farmland. The government purchased Land from about 700 families over a 56,000 acre area. The majority of the buildings that were removed or demolished were farmhouses and outbuildings such as barns.
Q. How high is the dam?
A. The main dam is 192 feet high and 2,360 feet long. It was built of raw earth instead of concrete to keep costs low.
Q. Why was Lanier built?
A. Lake Sidney Lanier and Buford Dam were built for the benefit of the public. This facility works to provide electric power, water, flood protection, and navigation while providing recreational opportunities to millions of users, as well as a sanctuary for fish, animal, and plant life.
Q. How much did it cost to build both Buford Dam and Lake Lanier?
A. Approximately 45 million dollars, not including the cost of constructing the lake's recreation areas.