TALLAPOOSA RIVER

The 'Tallapoosa River' runs from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia in the United States south and west into Alabama. It is formed by the confluence of McClendon Creek and Mud Creek in Paulding County, Georgia. Lake Martin at Alexander City, Alabama is a large and popular water recreation area formed by a dam on the river. The Tallapoosa joins the Coosa River about 10 miles northeast of Montgomery near Wetumpka in Elmore County to form the Alabama River. Four dams on the Tallapoosa are important sources of electricity generation for Alabama Power, a unit of the Southern Company and recreation for the citizens of Alabama.





★ The Tallapoosa River, especially its lower course, was a major population center of the Creek Indians before the early 19th century.

★ Horseshoe Bend National Military Park,a U.S. National Military Park managed by the National Park Service sits on the banks of the Tallapoosa River just upstream from Lake Martin.

★ Tallapoosa, Georgia is named for the river, which runs near the town.

★ Some environmentalists believe that obstructing and varying the flow of the river with dams is damaging to wildlife in the area.^[1]

★ The river below Thurlow Dam provides a short run of outstanding Class II, III and IV whitewater kayaking.^[2]

Contents

Tallapoosa River Impoundments

Significant tributaries

Advocates

Major Cities

References

Notes

Tallapoosa River Impoundments

The Tallapoosa River, at the site where Yates Dam now sits, was the site of the first hydroelectric dam in Alabama, built in 1902 by Henry C. Jones an Auburn University electrical engineer. Rebuilt after the flood of 1919, the dam that then belonged to the Montgomery Light & Water Power Company was replaced by the 1928 Yates Dam.^[3]
The following table outlines the four impoundments on the Tallapoosa River from the south to north.
Alexander City, Alabama. Lake Martin is an Alabama Power lake with an 154,200 kilowatt generating capacity. It is an excellent recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, striped bass and white bass. Alabame Power maintain eleven public access sites maintained on the lake.^[7]

Impoundment	Description	Images
Lake Thurlow (Lower Tallasee Dam)	Lake Thurlow was impounded in 1930. Thurlow Dam was built in Tallassee at the site of an early 19th century textile mill that was used during the Civil War as a uniform and ammunition plant. The Benjamin Fitzpatrick Bridge spans the river immediately south of Thurlow Dam.	ThurlowDamSmall.jpg
Lake Yates (Upper Tallasee Dam)	Lake Yates was impounded July 1st, 1928 and named for Eugene A. Yates, the Chief Engineer for Alabama Power dam building efforts hired in 1912. The nearest town is Tallassee, Alabama. One public access site is maintained by Alabama Power. [3], [5]	Yates Dam As Seen From Thurlow Dam, 1996.
Lake Martin	Alexander City, Alabama. Lake Martin is an Alabama Power lake with an 154,200 kilowatt generating capacity. It is an excellent recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, striped bass and white bass. Alabame Power maintain eleven public access sites maintained on the lake.[6]	Martin Dam and Powerhouse, 1996.
R. L. Harris Dam, 1996.

Significant tributaries

The Tallapoosa River's drainage has many significant tributaries which reflected below based on their location within the watershed.

Location	Tributaries
Headwaters to H.L. Harris Dam	Little Tallapoosa River
H.L. Harris Dam to Martin Dam	Emuckfaw Creek, Sandy Creek, Wind Creek, Chikasanoxee Creek, Hillabee Creek
Martin Dam to Yates Dam
Yates Dam to Thurlow Dam	No Major Tributaries
Thurlow Dam to Coosa River Confluence	Saugahatchee Creek, Tumcheehatchee Creek, Chubbehatchee Creek, Cubahatchee Creek, Calabee Creek

Advocates

The 'Coosa-Alabama River Improvement Association', founded in 1890 in Gadsden, Alabama to promote navigation on the Coosa River is a leading advocate of the economic, recreational and environmental benefits of the Coosa and Tallapoosa River systems.^[8]
The 'Alabama Rivers Alliance' works to unite the citizens of Alabama to protect peoples right to clean, healthy, waters.^[9]
'Alabama Water Watch' is dedicated to volunteer citizen monitoring of water quality in Alabama Rivers.^[10]
The 'Alabama Power Foundation' is a non-profit foundation providing grants for watershed, environmental and community projects along the Tallapoosa River and within the state of Alabama^[11]

Major Cities

A number of significant cities lie on the banks of the Tallapoosa River. They include:

★ Heflin, Alabama - Headwaters

★ Buchanan, Georgia - Headwaters

★ Tallapoosa, Georgia - Headwaters

★ Wedowee, Alabama - Near R. L Harris Lake

★ Alexander City, Alabama - North Flank of Lake Martin

★ Dadeville, Alabama - South Flank of Lake Martin

★ Tallassee, Alabama - Site of Lower Tallassee Dam

★ Wetumpka, Alabama - Near confluence with Coosa River forming the Alabama River

★ Montgomery, Alabama - Tallapoosa River is major source (60%) of drinking water for city^[12].

References

★ "Developed for the Service of Alabama" - The Centennial History of the Alabama Power Company 1906-2006, , Leah Rawl, Atkins, Alabama Power Company, 2006,

★ ''Putting Loafing Streams To Work-The Building of Lay, Mitchell, Martin, and Jordan Dams, 1910-1929'', , Harvey H. III, Jackson, The University of Alabama Press, 1997,

★ Rivers of History-Life on the Coosa, Tallapoosa, Cahaba and Alabama'', , Harvey H. III, Jackson, The University of Alabama Press, 1995,

Notes

1. American Rivers Organization Paper on Tallapoosa River
2. Alabama White Water Website
3. "Developed for the Service of Alabama" - The Centennial History of the Alabama Power Company 1906-2006, , Leah Rawl, Atkins, Alabama Power Company, 2006,
4. "Developed for the Service of Alabama" - The Centennial History of the Alabama Power Company 1906-2006, , Leah Rawl, Atkins, Alabama Power Company, 2006,
5. "Developed for the Service of Alabama" - The Centennial History of the Alabama Power Company 1906-2006, , Leah Rawl, Atkins, Alabama Power Company, 2006,
6. class=wikiexternal target=_blank>Alabama Power Website, Facts About Dams
7. Lake R. L. Harris (Lake Wedowee)Lake R. L. Harris Lake was impounded April 20th, 1983 and named for Rother L. "Judge" Harris, an Alabama Power director and vice president of electric operations. The lake impounds 10,600 acres (43 km²) with 271 miles of shoreline. The nearest town is Wedowee, Alabama. R. L. Harris is an Alabama Power lake with an 135,000 kilowatt generating capacity. It is an excellent recreational lake with fishing opportunities for largemouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. Alabama Power maintains six public access sites on the lake. Alabama Power Website, Facts About Dams
8. Coosa-Alabama River Improvement Association Website, History
9. Alabama Rivers Alliance Website
10. Alabama Water Watch Website
11. Alabama Power Foundation Website
The 'Coosa River Basin Initative' is a grassroots environmental organization with the mission of informing and empowering citizens so that they may become involved in the process of creating a clean, healthy and economically viable Coosa River Basin.Coosa River Basin Initative Website
12. Montgomery Water and Sewer Works Facilities