It’s fun sometimes to do something different. We dive Lake Martin often but it seems we never visit Lake Jordan. On Sunday, I visited both lakes and the comparison is indeed interesting. Two bodies of water – so close but so different.
Lake Martin is a part of the Tallapoosa River while Lake Jordan lies on the Coosa. These two magnificent rivers form very close to each other and never wander more than about 50 miles apart from beginning to where they meet and become the Alabama.
The Coosa is born at the convergence of the Oostanaula and Etowah rivers in Rome, Georgia. During the 1800s she was navigable by steam powered channel-boats for 200 river miles downstream from Rome. It is said that the antics of Popeye were based on river life along the Coosa.
About 65 miles north of Fort Toulouse the river began a series of shoals and falls that blocked access to the port at Mobile. One of the most famous of these was the Devil’s Staircase just north of the Bibb Graves Bridge in Wetumpka. The walls of long unfinished locks tell the story of man’s futile efforts to tame the mighty river.
Although both the French and English occupied settlements at the fork with the Tallapoosa, Wetumpka (Falling Waters in native language) was the first actual town to form along the lower Coosa. A series of mounds from Fort Toulouse into Wetumpka indicate Mississippian Indians were here long before that. Because the Spaniards wouldn’t behave near Childersburg, Chief Tuscaloosa told Hernando Desoto, “You come back and we may not be your friend.” Although the Spanish technically won at the battle of Mauvila, Desoto was so demoralized that he fled westward.
Today there are seven dams that impede flow for almost the entire length of the Coosa. From north to south they are Weiss, Neely-Henry, Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchell, Walter Bolden, and Jordan. Water flow in the tailrace below Jordan Dam is carefully controlled to support whitewater recreation. Infamous Moccasin Bend is one of the few class-three rapids in the southeast.
Eighty-two species of mollusk have been identified in the Coosa – At least twenty-six of these are considered extinct. Until plastic became the material of choice mussels in Lake Jordan were harvested for buttons. Mussels filter the water and are extremely important to water clarity in a lake.
The Tallapoosa River begins at the convergence of McClendon Creek and Mud Creek in Paulding County, Georgia. For the entire length it boasts only four dams: Harris (1983), Martin (1926), Thurlow (1930), and Yates (1928). There are long stretches of the Tallapoosa that flow swift and free. In its native state the Tallapoosa is much smaller than the Coosa and because of shoals and falls along its entire length was never navigable except by canoe.
The lower Tallapoosa is also rich in Indian history and was largely controlled by the Red Stick Creeks. One famous battle was at Horseshoe Bend where General Andrew Jackson routed the Creeks and eventually forced them to give up land that basically consisted of South Alabama and South Georgia through the treaty of Fort Jackson. Ironically enough, Fort Jackson lay at the same site as Fort Toulouse at the convergence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers.
When it was built, Lake Martin enjoyed notoriety as the largest man-made lake in the world.
We met at Camp Chandler on Lake Jordan Sunday morning to finish open water dives for the latest Stress and Rescue class. All the candidates did well and got quite a workout going through exercise after exercise. We looked both at recognizing stress in its early stages and managing that stress to prevent accidents. Then we practiced what to do after the accident happens. It was an awesome experience.
After class, I went on an exploratory dive out into the old river channel. The bottom sloped gently for a long way, just mud and some algae with an occasional stump or limb. Then abruptly the bottom turned rocky and dropped steeply into the river bed. Here I found mussels – lots of them – big ones. Some were as big as my hand. I realized their importance in the lake ecosystem and left them alone. There were some fish, mostly bass and crappie hanging out around the rocks and stumps. It is interesting to note that a thin layer of silt covered coarse sand. The mud is generally black. I didn’t find much Lingbya but am told that it is still a problem.
Visibility near the bottom was actually good, probably six or more feet. When the sun went behind a cloud it would get rather dark. Next time I would carry a light. Water temperature was 85 degrees on the surface with a mild thermocline at around 25 feet. I really enjoyed this dive – actually I enjoy all dives but this one was an adventure – a new place.
I went on up to the farm and enjoyed Father’s Day lunch with my parents. Mama had her special nanner puddin. I picked a quart of wild blackberries and sweated profusely in the humid air. I decided – actually I couldn’t pass up the chance to dive Lake Martin on the way home. I did the south end of old Kowaliga Bridge.
In contrast to Lake Jordan, Martin has whitish silt in a thick layer. Water temperature on the surface is 85 degrees with a sharp thermocline at 23 feet that boasts 76 degrees. An abrupt nine degree drop is significant. Since I left my wetsuit in the car I had to gradually dip beneath the layer and get my body to adapt a little at a time. Visibility decreased from about 15 feet above the layer to almost nothing. Several severe thunderstorms in the past couple of days have made the river muddy and lake water murky. The green filamentous algae that were present a couple of weeks ago in shallow water are gone now. I did see a few clumps but not much.
I looked for a long time around the old boats and then traced out fishing line looking for lures. We have long contended that fish are curious animals. I placed a few interesting bottles in a pile and came back a few minutes later to find about ten largemouth bass and some crappy just staring at the fresh pile of bottles. As I pulled fishing line they followed me and checked out the booty when I would turn over a rock.
It was fun finally diving without an exposure suit. My relaxation and air consumption greatly improved without the drag of a heavy suit. I have also re-fallen in love with low pressure steel 72s. What a wonderful tank! I still have one that I bought new in 1978.
Reluctantly I headed home after two dives in Martin. Thoughts turned to a fresh blackberry cobbler as I smiled and thought, “Life is good!”
Lake Martin is a part of the Tallapoosa River while Lake Jordan lies on the Coosa. These two magnificent rivers form very close to each other and never wander more than about 50 miles apart from beginning to where they meet and become the Alabama.
The Coosa is born at the convergence of the Oostanaula and Etowah rivers in Rome, Georgia. During the 1800s she was navigable by steam powered channel-boats for 200 river miles downstream from Rome. It is said that the antics of Popeye were based on river life along the Coosa.
About 65 miles north of Fort Toulouse the river began a series of shoals and falls that blocked access to the port at Mobile. One of the most famous of these was the Devil’s Staircase just north of the Bibb Graves Bridge in Wetumpka. The walls of long unfinished locks tell the story of man’s futile efforts to tame the mighty river.
Although both the French and English occupied settlements at the fork with the Tallapoosa, Wetumpka (Falling Waters in native language) was the first actual town to form along the lower Coosa. A series of mounds from Fort Toulouse into Wetumpka indicate Mississippian Indians were here long before that. Because the Spaniards wouldn’t behave near Childersburg, Chief Tuscaloosa told Hernando Desoto, “You come back and we may not be your friend.” Although the Spanish technically won at the battle of Mauvila, Desoto was so demoralized that he fled westward.
Today there are seven dams that impede flow for almost the entire length of the Coosa. From north to south they are Weiss, Neely-Henry, Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchell, Walter Bolden, and Jordan. Water flow in the tailrace below Jordan Dam is carefully controlled to support whitewater recreation. Infamous Moccasin Bend is one of the few class-three rapids in the southeast.
Eighty-two species of mollusk have been identified in the Coosa – At least twenty-six of these are considered extinct. Until plastic became the material of choice mussels in Lake Jordan were harvested for buttons. Mussels filter the water and are extremely important to water clarity in a lake.
The Tallapoosa River begins at the convergence of McClendon Creek and Mud Creek in Paulding County, Georgia. For the entire length it boasts only four dams: Harris (1983), Martin (1926), Thurlow (1930), and Yates (1928). There are long stretches of the Tallapoosa that flow swift and free. In its native state the Tallapoosa is much smaller than the Coosa and because of shoals and falls along its entire length was never navigable except by canoe.
The lower Tallapoosa is also rich in Indian history and was largely controlled by the Red Stick Creeks. One famous battle was at Horseshoe Bend where General Andrew Jackson routed the Creeks and eventually forced them to give up land that basically consisted of South Alabama and South Georgia through the treaty of Fort Jackson. Ironically enough, Fort Jackson lay at the same site as Fort Toulouse at the convergence of the Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers.
When it was built, Lake Martin enjoyed notoriety as the largest man-made lake in the world.
We met at Camp Chandler on Lake Jordan Sunday morning to finish open water dives for the latest Stress and Rescue class. All the candidates did well and got quite a workout going through exercise after exercise. We looked both at recognizing stress in its early stages and managing that stress to prevent accidents. Then we practiced what to do after the accident happens. It was an awesome experience.
After class, I went on an exploratory dive out into the old river channel. The bottom sloped gently for a long way, just mud and some algae with an occasional stump or limb. Then abruptly the bottom turned rocky and dropped steeply into the river bed. Here I found mussels – lots of them – big ones. Some were as big as my hand. I realized their importance in the lake ecosystem and left them alone. There were some fish, mostly bass and crappie hanging out around the rocks and stumps. It is interesting to note that a thin layer of silt covered coarse sand. The mud is generally black. I didn’t find much Lingbya but am told that it is still a problem.
Visibility near the bottom was actually good, probably six or more feet. When the sun went behind a cloud it would get rather dark. Next time I would carry a light. Water temperature was 85 degrees on the surface with a mild thermocline at around 25 feet. I really enjoyed this dive – actually I enjoy all dives but this one was an adventure – a new place.
I went on up to the farm and enjoyed Father’s Day lunch with my parents. Mama had her special nanner puddin. I picked a quart of wild blackberries and sweated profusely in the humid air. I decided – actually I couldn’t pass up the chance to dive Lake Martin on the way home. I did the south end of old Kowaliga Bridge.
In contrast to Lake Jordan, Martin has whitish silt in a thick layer. Water temperature on the surface is 85 degrees with a sharp thermocline at 23 feet that boasts 76 degrees. An abrupt nine degree drop is significant. Since I left my wetsuit in the car I had to gradually dip beneath the layer and get my body to adapt a little at a time. Visibility decreased from about 15 feet above the layer to almost nothing. Several severe thunderstorms in the past couple of days have made the river muddy and lake water murky. The green filamentous algae that were present a couple of weeks ago in shallow water are gone now. I did see a few clumps but not much.
I looked for a long time around the old boats and then traced out fishing line looking for lures. We have long contended that fish are curious animals. I placed a few interesting bottles in a pile and came back a few minutes later to find about ten largemouth bass and some crappy just staring at the fresh pile of bottles. As I pulled fishing line they followed me and checked out the booty when I would turn over a rock.
It was fun finally diving without an exposure suit. My relaxation and air consumption greatly improved without the drag of a heavy suit. I have also re-fallen in love with low pressure steel 72s. What a wonderful tank! I still have one that I bought new in 1978.
Reluctantly I headed home after two dives in Martin. Thoughts turned to a fresh blackberry cobbler as I smiled and thought, “Life is good!”
Interesting to read about all that history!
