In the early 1800s settlers dammed the Reedy River in Laurens County, SC to build a grain mill for families settling nearby. With impending Hurricane Florence dulling the skies we set out, hoping to find some remains of Boyd's Mill. We could soon hear rushing water and, after a short hike down a steep, washed-out road, we rounded a bend to meet up with a horrible stench (we never found the source) and this surprise:
a 1907 hydroelectric dam, replacing the grist mill and itself looking abandoned years ago. The remains of an old road bridge stand in the foreground.
It's a very long dam, extending farther than I could see playing hopscotch on the rocks, out beyond the trees at the right. We didn't hang around long. We enjoyed the sound of the water but not the smell or the mosquitoes. We returned to the car and, continuing up the road, came to a modern sign, another view of the dam, and another surprise.
This rickety-looking dam and power plant still has functioning turbines producing electricity for Laurens County! In the fall of 2015 in torrential rains fourteen dams in the Columbia, South Carolina area failed. Twelve lives and a tremendous amount of property were lost. Maybe it's just me, but I'd be a little nervous if I lived downstream from this one!
I think you are right about avoiding living close to a dam. With the increase in rainfall and flooding I would think twice about living near a river now.
ReplyDeleteLooks like it’s all about to collapse without a hurricane or floods!
ReplyDeleteI'd say you did some exploring there. Wonder what the stench was? Dead animals?
ReplyDeleteCertainly doesn't look a nice place. The stench could be from stale, polluted water holes.
ReplyDeleteNot for sensitive noses...............Poo! Yuck!
Colin
PS: I hope you voted???
I'll be voting tomorrow. It's still yesterday here! 😳
DeleteStill functioning!! Amazing..
ReplyDeleteThe rain we get these days could cause some dam failures.
ReplyDeleteLove your photos of this dam and the hydroelectric plant.
ReplyDeleteGosh, that isn't too good if the dams failed.
ReplyDeleteThey look interesting.
I was reading this morning that Hydro-electric plants have a much more harmful effect on the environment than previously thought.
ReplyDeleteI like the look of all the rocks and water, but it is a little scary looking there too. Kind of haunted looking. I would not want to live down stream of any dam. Love the pictures!
ReplyDeletePretty area, I like seeing old building:)
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