Morgan Falls Dam
Morgan Falls Dam is a small hydroelectric dam located along the Chattahoochee River at the northern end of Sandy Springs, Georgia, and crossing the river westwards into eastern Cobb County in north metro Atlanta. Originally constructed in 1904 by Georgia Power to provide electricity for Atlanta's streetcars, it now provides enough power for about 4,400 homes; upon completion the dam created Bull Sluice Lake. It was named for then recently deceased Georgia Power president S. Morgan Smith's mother whose maiden name was Morgan. At the time it was by far the largest hydroelectric plant in the state.<ref>Wright, Wade, The History of the Georgia Power Company, GPC, 1957, p.109</ref> In 1924 it was rebuilt as a 60 cycle plant with 15,000 kilowatts (up from the original 10,500 kW).<ref>Wright, Wade, The History of the Georgia Power Company, GPC, 1957, p.183</ref> In 1957 it was raised to regulate the flow from the larger Buford Dam, Template:Convert upstream, in order to give Atlanta water during the hours it was needed most.<ref>Martin, Herald, Atlanta and Environs, Vol III, UGA Press, 1987, p.260</ref> It is Template:Convert long, and Template:Convert tall. The dam's license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) was issued in May 2008, and expires in February 2039 which authorizes a capacity of 16,800 kW.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The construction of the dam changed the river upstream from a narrow river with rapids into a wetland. The wetland serves as a habitat for migrating birds, waterfowl, songbirds, beavers, muskrats, and numerous species of reptiles and amphibians.<ref>CNC on the River: A look into the trips down the Chattahoochee River with the Chattahoochee Nature Center (July 12, 2011). Accessed July 19, 2013.</ref>