History
The Mississippi River had flowed unabated for thousands of years overflowing its banks at will and spilling out into the fertile deltas along its way to the sea. However as European settlers moved into the vast Mississippi Valley they soon began to plan and construct dams, levees and diversions to control the seasonal flooding. Early examples of these efforts can be seen in work done in the 1840s near St. Louis by a young Corps of Engineers Major Robert E Lee. With increased population the floods caused more damage and loss of life.
In the early spring of 1927 worries along the river were again a top concern as flood waters spread out. However this flood would be like none seen by the new inhabitants of the region and would for ever more be known as the Great Flood.
In response to the devastating floods of 1927 congress passed the 1928 Flood Control Act and later the 1936 Flood Control Act. These two Acts would be the corner stone of a mammoth undertaking to tame the mighty Mississippi and her primary tributaries. One chapter in this epic endeavor called for the protection of the rich delta farmlands of West Mississippi. To do this it would be necessary to control the waters of the Yazoo River. Engineers soon devised a plan to construct four strategically placed dams to control the drainage from the Northern hill country. A proposed Dam to control the water from the Little Tallahatchie River in Northwest Mississippi soon became a reality. Construction began in the mid 1930’s and with a labor force close to a thousand it would have the added benefit of providing much needed economic stimulus for a region extremely hard hit by the depression.
Once there was congressional approval, work on Sardis Dam soon reached a feverish pace. Twelve-hour days, seven days a week were the rule not the exception while Sardis Dam lay strewn on the drawing boards. Out in the dusty fields however, it was a different story. Thousands of men toiled, doing backbreaking work using mules, brush hooks, crosscut saws and axes to clear fourteen miles along the Little Tallahatchie River, characterized by cutover hardwood, dense undergrowth and meandering sloughs. Becoming operational in October 1940, the dam embodied some of the most advanced design and construction methods of its day. At 15,300 feet in length, and with an average height of 97 feet, Sardis Dam was for many years the largest earth-filled type in the world!
The most unique aspect of the dam's construction was the use of "hydraulic fill" techniques. This required that soil be dredged from the river below the dam site and pumped up to provide the earth fill that forms the major portion of the dam. To facilitate this, the Corps built and operated the "Pontotoc", a special dredge powered by two 3000 hp electric motors. The 425-acre “Lower Lake” on the downstream side of Sardis Dam created by the dredging operation today boasts the project's most dense concentration of recreational facilities.
Many visitors to Sardis Lake do not know of the project's role in flood control. To them, Sardis Lake is a place to play. Annual visitation tops 5 million people. The lake is popular with anglers and has a reputation for its abundant bass and crappie. Other recreation activities include hunting, camping, boating, skiing, swimming and picnicking. Come walk through our visitor center and take a step back in time. It will not take you long to understand the importance of the dam then and now.
