Could Lake Lanier be renamed? This is what a new federal report says

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Could Lake Lanier be renamed over its ties to a Confederate soldier? It’s possible.

A new report from the Department of Defense’s Naming Commission examined several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ civil works projects from over the years and listed Lake Lanier and Buford Dam in their report for projects they feel could use renaming.

The report said Lake Lanier and Buford Dam are “within its remit for consideration, but not within its purview to provide a naming recommendation.”

Buford Dam was named after politician Algernon Sidney Buford who served in the Virginia militia.

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Lake Lanier is named after poet Sidney Lanier who served in the Confederate army.

“The lake drew 12.3 million visitors in 2022, said Steve J. Stanley, Army Corps of Engineers’ Mobile District spokesman,” The Forsyth County News reported Monday.

The commission has been looking to rename different assets created by the military that have Confederate ties. That includes Army bases. Two Georgia bases are among those recommended to receive a new name.

“The defense secretary is required to implement a plan to rename, modify or remove Confederacy-related names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia by Jan. 1, 2024. The work was estimated to cost $62.5 million,” military news agency The Stars and Stripes reported.

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Abandoned boats pulled from the shores of Lake Lanier Five sail boats were pulled from the lake.

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