The massive man-made lake north of Atlanta is unnerving on multiple fronts, with a reputation for tragic and sometimes mysterious deaths, from a disproportionately high frequency of boating accidents and drownings to unexplained homicides. A construction crew discovered the skeleton of a woman who disappeared in 1958, still trapped in her car at the bottom of the lake more than 30 years later, and since then people have reported sightings of a ghostly female figure on the lake's waters. There are even reports of malevolent catfish lurking on the bottom that's large enough to swallow a dog or even drown a diver. There were numerous issues with the construction of the lake, not the least of which included the displacement of families, businesses, and even cemeteries occupying the land the Army Corps of Engineers sought to develop. The vestiges of some of these structures still have a ghostly presence at the bottom of the lake, which some point to as a source of Lanier's haunted reputation. Others point to the simple "water + alcohol = accidents" formula to explain the tragedies (Lanier IS a notorious party lake). But, as noted above, many of the deaths go beyond simple boating accidents, leading some to believe there's something more sinister at work.
