Lake Harding,also known asBartlett's Ferry Lake,is a 5,850-acre (23.7 km2)reservoiron theChattahoochee River.The lake is formed byBartlett's Ferry Dam,and the border betweenGeorgiaandAlabamatraverses the main channel along the western side of the lake. The Georgia side lies entirely withinHarris Countywhile the Alabama shoreline's entirety is inLee County.Lake Harding is a deep lake with a depth of over 100 feet (30 m) at the dam itself.
| Lake Harding | |
|---|---|
| Bartlett's Ferry Lake | |
 Bartlett's Ferry Dam and Lake Harding | |
  Lake Harding  Lake Harding  Lake Harding | |
| Location | Harris County, Georgia/Lee County, Alabama,US |
| Coordinates | 32°39′47″N85°05′28″W/ 32.663°N 85.091°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Chattahoochee River |
| Primary outflows | Chattahoochee River |
| Basincountries | United States |
| Surface area | 5,850 acres (23.7 km2) |
| Average depth | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Max. depth | 111 ft (34 m) |
| Shore length1 | 156 mi (251 km) |
| Surface elevation | 521 feet (159 m) |
| Islands | several (Houston's Island) |
| Website | https://lakeharding |
| 1Shore length isnot a well-defined measure. | |
The lake was originally built by the Columbus Power Company in 1926 to generate hydroelectric power. The lake was named after R.M. Harding, a power company official.[1]The dam and lake were bought byGeorgia Powerin 1930.
Over the years, Lake Harding has become a popular recreational area with local residents from theColumbusmetro area, many of whom have built lake homes along the well-developed shoreline on both the Alabama and Georgia sides of the lake.
Three major tributaries flow into the lake. On the Alabama side, Osanippa Creek rises nearCussetain southernChambers Countyand flows southeast into the northern end of the lake, while Halawakee Creek rises within the city limits ofOpelikaand flows east through northeastern Lee County before deepening and widening greatly prior to its junction with the lake. On the Georgia side, Mountain Oak Creek flows out of Piedmont Lake nearWhitesvillein Harris County southwestward into the lake, with its mouth nearly due east of the mouth of Osanippa Creek on the Alabama side.
Lake Harding features several islands. One of the most notable is Huston's Island, which contains the ruins of an old lake house.
Lake Harding is the practice site of theAuburn UniversityClub Rowing Team. The team can frequently be seen practicing on early weekday mornings.
References
edit- ^Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975).Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins(PDF).Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 103.ISBN0-915430-00-2.
External links
edit- Lake Harding Community
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Bartletts Ferry Lake
- Auburn University Rowing Club[1]
- Bartlett's Ferry Dam: Antioch Baptist Churchhistorical marker
- Reviews of Barlett's Ferry Dam For Cleanliness