 As the largest owner/operator of hydroelectric power plants in the United States, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is one of the largest suppliers of hydroelectric power in the world. The 75 USACE plants are located throughout the country and have a total installed capacity of 20,474 megawatts. The annual production of nearly 100 billion kilowatt-hours—nearly a third of the nation's total hydropower output—represents enough energy to serve about 10 million households or roughly 10 cities the size of Seattle.
One of the 5 districts comprising the South Atlantic Division, the Mobile District produces hydroelectric power at 8 powerhouses. The majority of the power is sold to the preferred utilities through Southeastern Power Administration (SEPA), headquartered in Elberton, Georgia.
Hydropower Generation Schedules
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Federal Hydropower Vision
Be the premier stewards of entrusted hydropower resources.
Federal Hydropower Mission Statement
Provide reliable hydroelectric power services at the lowest possible cost, consistent with sound business principles—in partnership with other Federal hydropower generators, the power marketing administrations, and preference customers—to benefit the Nation.
Federal Hydropower Strategic Objectives
- Provide power services at the lowest sustainable cost.
- Optimize hydropower as a renewable resource that does not contribute to greenhouse gases.
- Meet or exceed industry standards for reliability and availability.
- Develop and implement a hydropower asset management strategy.
- Identify and implement opportunities to standardize equipment, processes, and services in coordination with other related federal hydropower agencies.
- Sustain a skilled hydropower workforce.
- Strengthen and sustain hydropower partnerships with power marketing administrations, preference customers, and federal power agencies.
- Manage the hydropower program through sound project management principles.
- Optimize hydropower resources within authorized project purposes and environmental laws.
Mobile District Hydropower Projects
Allatoona Dam and Powerhouse
 Allatoona is the oldest multipurpose project in USACE’s South Atlantic Division. Authorized under the Flood Control Acts of 1941 and 1944, Allatoona Dam was built to retain the Etowah River, a tributary of the Coosa River. Delayed because of World War II, construction of the dam began in 1946 was completed in late 1949. Allatoona Dam was the first of its kind, becoming the model for all future USACE-built dams.
- The filling of the reservoir was completed in May 1950, and the power plant came online the same year; the current plant capacity is 85 MW. The Allatoona Dam and Powerhouse are located in Bartow County on the Etowah River near Cartersville, Georgia.
Buford Dam and Powerhouse
 The construction of Buford Dam was authorized by a 1946 Congressional act. Begun in 1951, construction was completed in 1956. Buford Dam was built to retain the Chattahoochee River about 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The result of the project, Lake Sidney Lanier is also fed by the Chestatee River and welcomes over 7.5 million people annually. Lake Sidney Lanier is considered one of America’s favorite lakes and is the most-visited USACE project.- The Buford Dam and Powerhouse are located on the Chattahoochee River at Lake Sidney Lanier in north central Georgia. The power plant came online in 1958; the current plant capacity is 126 MW.
Carters Dam and Powerhouse
 Carters Dam impounds about 3,200 surface acres of water with more than 60 miles of shoreline. At 445 feet, it is the highest earth-filled dam east of the Mississippi River. Carters Dam is one of the few pump storage facility dams in the nation. Water flows through the turbines to generate power during peak demand periods. During off-peak periods, the units are reversed to pump water back to the upper pool and stored for later use.
- Located 26.8 miles above the mouth of the Coosawattee River in northwest Georgia, the Carters Dam and Powerhouse were authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1945. Construction began in 1962 and was completed in 1977. The project came online in 1975; the current plant capacity is 600 MW.
Jim Woodruff Lock, Dam, and Powerhouse
 The Lake Seminole project, originally authorized as the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam Project by the River and Harbor Act of 1946, was the first of three locks and dams constructed for navigation, hydropower, recreation, and related use purposes on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint River systems. Lake Seminole borders both Georgia and Florida and has 37,500 acres of water and over 22,000 acres of surrounding land. Extending up the Chattahoochee River 30 miles and up the Flint River 35 miles, Lake Seminole has 376 miles of shoreline.- Construction of this multipurpose project began in 1947 and the power plant came online in 1957; the current plant capacity is 43.35 MW.
Jones Bluff Lock, Dam, and Powerhouse
 Jones Bluff Reservoir (also know as R. E. "Bob" Woodruff Lake) impounds the Alabama River between Montgomery and Selma in central Alabama. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam to create a 12,510 acre reservoir that provides navigation, hydroelectric power generation, and recreation. Jones Bluff is a riverine impoundment: Much of the reservoir is confined to the historic river channel. its low retention time and water storage capacity often result in frequent winter and spring flooding. Locals still refer to it as the Alabama River; however, numerous creeks have been flooded, providing a wide variety of fishing opportunities.- The city of Montgomery is located on Jones Bluff Reservoir. The Jones Bluff Powerhouse at the Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam came online in 1975; the project's current capacity is 82 MW.
Millers Ferry Lock, Dam, and Powerhouse
 A 17,200-acre reservoir on the Alabama River, the William (Bill) Dannelly Reservoir is better known locally as “Millers Ferry.” The reservoir covers 27 square miles and has approximately 500 miles of shoreline. Dannelly Reservoir was created by the construction of Millers Ferry Lock and Dam, which was completed in 1970.- The Millers Ferry Lock, Dam, and Powerhouse are located on the Alabama River in southwest Alabama. The power plant came online in 1970; the current capacity is 90 MW.
Walter F. George Lock, Dam, and Powerhouse
 Created from the damming of the Chattahoochee River, Walter F. George Lake opened in 1967 after six years of construction. The Walter F. George Lock, Dam, and Powerhouse were authorized by the Rivers and Harbors act of 1944. Construction on the project began in 1957, and the project was placed in service in 1963.- Located on the Chattahoochee River near Fort Gaines in southwest Georgia, the power plant has a current capacity of 168 MW.
West Point Dam and Powerhouse
 West Point Lake began filling in 1974, approximately nine years after construction began. Authorized by Congress in 1962, it was the first lake in the South Atlantic Division of the Corps of Engineers to have recreation designated as one of its major purposes. It is part of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Waterway system, which runs 260 miles from Columbus, Georgia, to Apalachicola, Florida.- West Point Lake and Dam are credited with many USACE firsts, including the first use of the slurry trench technique that prevents seepage under the dam and the first use of hydraulically operated tainter gates.
- The West Point Power Project is located on the Chattahoochee River, with West Point Lake extending 35 miles along the Alabama-Georgia state line. The power plant came online in 1975; the current plant capacity is 87 MW.
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