For the first time in over 30 years, Lake Trahlyta at Vogel State Park has been drained to accommodate necessary work on the earthen dam that retains the natural waters of Wolf Creek on Blood Mountain.
The lake has been dropped about 26 feet to enable construction of a new drain gate to replace the current gate that has become inoperable from age. Remarkably, the old gate is original to the dam, which was built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps to create a recreational lake.
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Replacing the gate is necessary because, in the event of a massive flood, the park must be able to open the gate to release water before any damage can occur due to overtopping at the dam, Vogel Park Manager Jack Becker said.
And having the ability to drain water when needed will help with all lake maintenance moving forward, including annual beach maintenance that requires a slight reduction in the lake level.
Becker wants the public to know this is not an emergency fix and that the dam remains in good shape overall. Dangerous flooding has not been an issue to date, and even in the event of flooding, the spillway “takes a lot of water,” and the dam has a backup spillway, just in case.
“There’s nothing wrong with the dam,” Becker said. “It’s functioning like it’s supposed to and does what every dam does. This is just something that needed to be done.”
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has known for years that the gate had to be replaced, but only recently did all the appropriate pieces fall into place to get construction underway, including a clear project schedule, bidding and contract awarding.
To prepare for the replacement, the third-party contractor attempted to start draining the lake just before Christmas but could not get the old gate to budge; the crank atop the boat-accessed tower platform near the dam simply broke when they tried lifting the gate, and jacking failed, too.
Last month, the construction company rigged up a double siphon system with valves to manage the outflow of lake water into industrial-sized tubes that run across the main spillway and down over the currently dry rocks of Trahlyta Falls to empty into Wolf Creek.
It has taken about a month for the lake to reach the right level while maintaining enough water – several acres – to keep the fish population alive. And now that the lake is drained, the usually submerged gate and tower to control it are exposed to allow replacement construction to begin.
The 25-foot gate tower was erected using trees that were likely harvested nearby almost 100 years ago, and the rusted fasteners and fittings holding the sturdy, mountain-engineered contraption together clearly tell a tale of prolonged exposure to the elements.
Lake Trahlyta itself, which is more of a pond at the moment, is quite a muddy spectacle – at least for the next couple of months. Becker said he’s hopeful the project will conclude in time for rain to bring the lake back up to full pool by summer for minimal disruption of seasonal activities.
On the lakebed, park employees have found dozens of lures lost by fishermen over time. Some decades-old pull-tab cans, a few hand tools, and a pair of unusable cellphones have also been exhumed from their watery graves.
The prospects of making a historic find in the lakebed might whet the appetites of would-be “treasure hunters,” but Becker said that detecting for metals, minerals, artifacts, or lost articles in any state park is strictly prohibited under Georgia law.
He also said the park is discouraging folks from walking onto the lakebed due to muddy conditions that have already seen at least one visitor stuck up to the knees, and there is no fishing or boating for the time being.
The lake was last drained in 1994 to remove silt and create a cold-water release to oxygenate water coming over the spillway for downstream trout populations. Before then, the lake was drained in 1981 to increase the height of the dam. Any prior lake draining has been lost to time.
Vogel is simultaneously undertaking another upgrade, taking advantage of the gate construction window to restore the Lake Trahlyta Loop Trail, which will be closed until all the work is completed.
“They’re adding some gabion baskets (to shore up the bank in places), doing some trail stabilization, widening the trail in some areas, filling dips, replacing the boardwalk,” Park Manager Becker said.
On the back side of the lake adjacent to the cottages and group shelter, a concrete walking path will be poured with impressions of animal prints. The contractor will also be putting in steps near the area of Cabin 35 to assist with the steepness of the path down to the lake.
Looking ahead, the dam will be getting some modernization updates in the not-too-distant future, like the installation of sensors to better monitor dam health, though none of the upcoming work will need the lake to be drained to such an extent, according to Becker.
For now, park visitors can come check out the new Visitor Center and enjoy the rare sight of Lake Trahlyta with very little water. And everyone can pray for rain when the new gate is done.
“I think it’s really neat because this is something that most people will probably never see again in their lifetime,” Becker said.
