What is the story behind Lake Lanier?

Named for Georgia poet and musician Sidney Lanier, Lake Lanier was created in the 1950s when the United States Army Corps of Engineers built Buford Dam for purposes that included flood control, power generation, and recreation. It is the primary source of water for Gwinnett County.



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Officials created a 3,800-acre reservoir named Lake Sidney Lanier. It was built for drinking water and flood control. For the greater good, 700 families had to go. And the lives they left behind, were buried under 600 billion gallons of water.

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However, the true story behind Lake Lanier's ominous past unveils a trail of rape, murder, lynching, and the tragic deaths of over 700 people. Eerily, remnants of a once-thriving community lie submerged beneath the lake's surface, providing a chilling reminder of the darkness surrounding the area.

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Christmas Day 1964 is known as the deadliest day at Lake Lanier, when a driver lost control of their car while crossing a bridge. The car then flipped into the lake, where five children and two adults drowned. In 2012, the 11-year-old son of Tameka Foster, Usher's ex-wife, died at Lake Lanier.

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27-year-old man's body recovered from Lake Lanier days after disappearance. HALL COUNTY, Ga. - The body of a 27-year-old man has been recovered at Lake Lanier. Game wardens located and recovered the body of Leonardo Martinez of Buford at approximately 9:30 a.m. Aug.

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Oscarville: The City Buried Under Lake Lanier.

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If you're one of the fortunate few who own a home or two bordering on Lake Lanier, you might think you're the king of your castle. That's true, to an extent; but, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) manages the lake and all the shoreline because that's public property and cannot be purchased by homeowners.

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Within a few days after lake turnover, the dissolved metals become insoluble and settle to the bottom. This leaves the lake water clear from the top to bottom, and the river water clears as well. Metals that have settled on the river bottom are eventually washed downstream by the daily generations.

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Lake Lanier is one of 464 lakes in 43 states constructed and operated by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers.

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