Sardis Lake (Mississippi) facts for kids
- For the lake of the same name in Oklahoma, see Sardis Lake (Oklahoma).
Quick facts for kids Sardis Lake |
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Sardis Lake
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 Sardis Lake
Location in Mississippi
Sardis Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lafayette / Panola / Marshall counties, Mississippi, US |
| Coordinates | 34°24′32″N 89°47′45″W / 34.40889°N 89.79583°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Tallahatchie River |
| Primary outflows | Tallahatchie River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 98,520 acres (398.7 km2) |
| Water volume | 1,512,000 acre-feet (1.865×109 m3) |
Sardis Lake is a very large lake in Mississippi, USA. It covers about 98,520 acres (399 square kilometers). This lake is actually a reservoir, which means it's a human-made lake built to store water. It's located across three counties: Lafayette, Panola, and Marshall.
Sardis Lake was created by building the Sardis Dam on the Tallahatchie River. The dam is about 9 miles (14 kilometers) southeast of the town of Sardis. It's also only about an hour's drive from Memphis, Tennessee. The dam itself is very long, stretching for 15,300 feet (4,663 meters). It stands about 97 feet (30 meters) tall on average, with its highest point reaching 117 feet (36 meters).
Contents
Building Sardis Dam
Why the Dam Was Built
Sardis Dam was the first big project built by the United States government to help control floods in the Yazoo River area. Floods can cause a lot of damage, so building dams helps prevent this. The plan for the dam was approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.
How the Dam Was Constructed
Building the dam took four years. Thousands of workers cleared a 14-mile (23-kilometer) path along the Tallahatchie River. This area was full of thick woods and winding waterways.
The dam was built using a special method called "hydraulic fill." This means soil was dug up from below the dam site. Then, it was pumped to form the main part of the dam. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers managed this huge task. They used a special machine called the "Pontotoc." This machine was a powerful dredge, which is like a giant vacuum for digging underwater. It had two 3,000-horsepower electric motors to do the job.
The Lower Lake
The dredging operation also created the 425-acre (1.7-square-kilometer) "Lower Lake." This smaller lake is located on the downstream side of Sardis Dam. It has many fun places for people to visit, including John W. Kyle State Park. Mississippi Highway 315 crosses the dam, with one part going over the top and another part going along the base.
Lake Levels and Flood Control
How the Lake Manages Water
Sardis Lake can hold a huge amount of water, up to 1,512,000 acre-feet. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot.
To prevent floods, the lake's water level is slowly lowered during the fall and winter. This creates a "conservation pool," which is a smaller lake of about 9,800 acres (40 square kilometers). This empty space allows the lake to fill up with spring rains without causing floods downstream. The area that drains into the lake, called its watershed, covers 1,545 square miles (4,002 square kilometers).
High Water Events
Since the dam started working, the lake's emergency spillway has only been overflowed three times. This happened in 1973, 1983, and 1991. The lake's usual size for recreation is about 32,500 acres (132 square kilometers).
Fun Activities at Sardis Lake
Sardis Lake is a popular spot for many outdoor activities.
Fishing
The lake is very famous for fishing. It's known for having lots of bass and crappie.
Other Recreation
Besides fishing, people enjoy hunting, camping, boating, water skiing, swimming, and picnicking around the lake.
Sardis Lake Marina
The Sardis Lake Marina offers many services for visitors. You can get fuel for boats there. It has 140 boat slips, which are places to park boats, some covered and some open. There's also a restaurant and a ship store. The marina rents out boats, as well as skis, tubes, and knee/wake boards for water sports.
Fish in Sardis Lake
Many different kinds of fish live in Sardis Lake. Some of the main types you can find are:
