Greetings!

DID YOU KNOW......

The Chattahoochee River has struggled with too much sediment for hundreds of years.  Steamboats made their way all the way up to Gwinnett.

In the early 1900's, steamboats freely cruised the upper and lower segments of the Chattahoochee River.  By the year 1900, excess sedimentation virtually eliminated the ability steamboats had to move up and down the river.  

By 1871, the Chattahoochee was in sore need of improvement due to heavy sedimentation from half a century of intensive deforestation via timber harvesting and agricultural development. Navigation became more and more difficult if not impossible in some areas.

The army Corps of Engineers set to work widening the channel in some areas and building wing dams (with the hopes of scouring deeper channels) in others. By 1881 the steamboat lines had had enough. The Corps improvements had actually made conditions worse. Despite their protests, the Corps projects continued. By 1891, silting in the channel was occurring faster than progress was being made, eventually leading to the inability steamboats ability to move up and down the river.

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