History

North Highlands Hydroelectric Plant is adjacent to the Bibb Cotton Mill in North Columbus, and is the oldest plant in the Chattahoochee Hydro Group and the first large dam built in the South.

The plant was constructed during 1898-99 by the Columbus Electric and Power Company and was later acquired by Georgia Power.

North Highlands was severely damaged by a flood in 1901, but was redesigned and rebuilt by 1903. At the time, two powerhouses were used, one using electric generators rated at 5,000 kilowatts and the other rope drive to power the textile mill. South Carolinian William S. Lee served as chief engineer during the dam's rebuilding. He became one of the nation's leading hydroelectric power engineers and credited his early Columbus experience for much of his later success.

A redevelopment project was completed in 1963 to expand the plant's generating capacity. The project involved replacing the 59-year-old powerhouse with a new $7.6 million, four-unit powerhouse having a total capacity of 29,600 kilowatts. The 1903 stone-masonry dam itself - 33 feet high and 728 feet across - was structurally sound and was retained with minor modifications.

The North Highlands plant is completely automatic. All operating functions can be managed by remote control from the Bartletts Ferry plant upstream.