Clyde to Corps: Scrap any efforts to rename Lake Lanier

9th District Congressman Andrew Clyde has sent a letter to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) requesting confirmation that the USACE has completely abandoned any plans to rename Lake Lanier and Buford Dam.

REP. CLYDE NEWS RELEASE:

“In the letter, Rep. Clyde highlights the importance of keeping these names:

I have been one of the strongest advocates for preserving the historic names of Lake Lanier and Buford Dam. The names of these landmarks have established a unique identity for our community. Renaming them would cause needless confusion and tremendous costs for local businesses and area residents. Worse yet, it would be erasing part of our region’s heritage and tradition.”

The (Jackson County Republican) notes his appreciation of the USACE for its decision to “indefinitely pause” its unwarranted efforts to rename Lake Lanier and Buford Dam but adds that the Ninth District deserves clarity on the issue:

While the pause in the renaming process was an encouraging development, I believe it is necessary to make it plain that the renaming efforts have been fully and entirely terminated — not just suspended indefinitely. The people of Northeast Georgia deserve assurances that the Lake Lanier and Buford Dam nomenclature will be with us long into the future.”

Read the full letter HERE.”

The possibility of renaming both Lake Lanier and Buford Dam, which holds back the waters of the Chattahoochee and Chestatee Rivers to form the lake, surfaced a couple of years ago as two of the federal projects being renamed or proposed for renaming because of their namesakes’ connections to the Confederacy.