This project utilized over 15,000 workers to clear timberland, relocate cemeteries, and build dams to generate hydroelectric power... it resulted in creation of 2 large South Carolina Lakes -- the Moultrie and Marion Lakes.
The project was called the Santee Cooper Project and was initiated in the 1930s by the South Carolina Public Service Authority (now Santee Cooper). The project aimed to boost economic development in the region by providing cheap and reliable electricity and also to control flooding along the Santee River. The construction of dams on the river created the two lakes, which cover over 170,000 acres and have over 1,200 miles of shoreline. The project continues to provide hydroelectric power, recreational opportunities, and water supply to the region.
