Historic Hydro-Engineering Report: Middle Chattahoochee Project (FERC #2177), Museogee and Harris Counties, Georgia and Lee County, Alabama

This report documents the dams, powerhouses, and related facilities and equipment of the    Middle Chattahoochee Project (FERC #2177) on the Chattahoochee River. These hydroelectric facilities are located north of Columbus, in west Georgia, and Phoenix City, in east Alabama (Figure 1.1 ). The Middle Chattahoochee Project consists of three dams and powerhouses, all owned and operated by Georgia Power Company: North Highlands, Goat Rock, and Oliver. These three facilities are licensed under one Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license. The North Highlands dam and powerhouse are located at the northern edge of the City of Columbus, approximately 4.2 miles north of 9th Avenue, in downtown Columbus (Figure 1.2). The Oliver dam and powerhouse are located approximately 1.2 miles north of the North Highlands dam and powerhouse (Figure 1.2). Finally, the Goat Rock dam and powerhouse are located approximately 8.5 miles north of the Oliver dam and powerhouse (Figure 1.3).

Construction and operation of the three plants of the Middle Chattahoochee Project spans the early twentieth century. The North Highlands dam and powerhouse were originally constructed in 1900. After giving way in a flood, it was rebuilt in 1902, with extensive additions and modifications (replacement of generating units and powerhouse superstructure) completed in 1963. The Goat Rock dam and powerhouse were built in 1912, with additions and modifications in 1915, 1920, 1955, 1956, and 1996. The Oliver dam and powerhouse is the most recent project, completed in 1959.

As part of the relicensing effort for the Middle Chattahoochee Project, its physical components must be surveyed and analyzed in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended through 1992 (NHP A 1992). As described in 36 CFR Part 800: Protection of Historic and Cultural Properties (Advisory Council on Historic Preservation [ACHP] 1986), Section 106 requires all federal agencies to consider the impact of their actions on properties that are listed on or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). In this case, the proposed undertaking is the relicensing by FERC, and the party that must assume responsibility for the identification and evaluation of historic resources is the relicensing applicant, Georgia Power.