earl
Banned
There Is A Good Article In Georgia Backroads Magazine On This Installation. If I Remember There Was A Thread Asking About This Much Earlier In The Year.
Welcome Guest!
Secret Military Lab/ Dawson Wma
- Thread starter earl
- Start date
6
60Grit
Guest
Not again !!! 
Jranger
Senior Member
Not again !!!
I know some folks that grew up around there, no tellin whats buried up there...
AccUbonD
Senior Member
Is this Area 50 or 52
Russ Toole
Senior Member
Lockheed or martin marietta was doing nuclear experiments to see if nuclear powered aircraft were feasible. I think thats about as secret as it was.
Last edited:
6
60Grit
Guest
Is that why my snake boots glowed in the dark after I hiked through that place???
acurasquirrel
Senior Member
I know they also did some unshielded testing to determine the affects on the wildlife and managed to kill a bunch of mice, and a tornado also came through where the stored alot of the waste.
Jranger
Senior Member
7Mag Hunter
Senior Member
Thats where research was done on bigfoot before he escaped !!
Seminole61pf
Senior Member
Also the cause of all the reported Black Panthers and perhaps the Pink Panther as well.
Jeff Phillips
Senior Member
Here is part of a paper about Dawson Forest. The GNAL was a real deal.
Dawson Forest City of Atlanta Tract – Then and Now
By Nathan McClure C.F.
Early Years
During the late 1930’s and early 1940’s Roscoe Tucker, a citizen of Dawson County, purchased several small farms. These farms consisted of some cleared fields, abandoned fields and woodlots. By the 1950’s Tucker had obtained enough land to comprise a single contiguous tract of over 10,000 acres. In 1956 initial efforts to establish a military research facility in southern Dawson County were began by the United States Federal government, with the General Services Administration, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Air Force all involved. The needed land was purchased from the Tucker holdings and included what is now the Dawson Forest City of Atlanta Tract.
Cold War Era
The Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory (GNAL) was operated on the site by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation for the US Air Force from the late 1950’s until 1971. The initial intention of research at GNAL was to design a nuclear powered airplane. Although this project was not successful, other radioactive material related research was performed at GNAL. A small (10 mega-watt) radiation effects reactor was used in the research efforts from 1958 through 1970. The site was decommissioned and closed in 1971 by Lockheed. Lockheed, having obtained ownership of the land, sold 10,130.4 acres to the City of Atlanta in 1972. The City was anticipating the need for a second airport for the metropolitan Atlanta area and purchased this tract, as well as 10,000 acres in Paulding County.
The land areas used by GNAL have continuously been monitored and studied for detrimental environmental and health effects since the 1971 decommissioning of the site. Three major post-operational studies of the area have been performed:
(1) Radiation Surveillance and Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division, 1978
(2) Report of the Dawson Forest Task Force, 1991
(3) Radiological Review of the Former Georgia Nuclear Laboratories Site, Camp Dresser and McKee, 1998
The 1978 Report found residual radiation amounts in two areas and recommended fencing of the areas to prevent public access. The areas were fenced at that time. Although the studies performed in 1991 and 1997 showed radiation levels to be at or only slightly above “background” or normal levels in and around the fenced areas, it was decided to maintain the public access restriction. Currently there are two restricted areas comprising approximately 3 acres out of the 10,000 acres. The Georgia Forestry Commission and the Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division (EPD) monitor these areas. The EPD posts instruments and check them every three months to detect any change in the radiation levels. Both the 1991 and the 1998 Reports indicate that the areas used by GNAL on Dawson Forest do not present a health or safety problem for the public.
Natural Resource Management Administration
No land management occurred on the property from 1973 through 1975 (immediately after purchase of the land by the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation). During this time period the access roads within the property became washed out and overgrown, there was unlimited public access, frequent dumping of garbage and debris, and general deterioration of the site. As a result, officials representing the City asked the Georgia Forestry Commission to manage the City’s land holdings in Dawson and Paulding Counties. In July of 1975 the Commission and the City signed a formal Agreement that established the Georgia Forestry Commission as the manager of the “Dawson Forest” and “Paulding Forest”.
Soon afterwards, the GFC entered into additional Agreements with the Georgia DNR Game and Fish Division (currently Wildlife Resources Division), which allowed for the creation of the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area and Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area. The Agreements state that the City-owned lands will be available as public hunting and fishing areas and that the DNR will develop areas for wildlife (food and habitat areas) within the Forests. Since that time the DNR Wildlife Resources Division has purchased land to add to the WMA. The Wildlife Resources Division manages these DNR-owned lands for wildlife and the GFC has no management responsibility in these areas.
The Start of Forest Management
Initial activities by the resource managers on City lands focused on improving access and boundaries. Roads were graded with proper drainage installed. Some gates were constructed to limit traffic and reduce damage to secondary forest roads. The boundaries were posted with DNR Wildlife Management Area signs. In 1976 a general inventory of the timber resource was performed which indicated that 82% of the Dawson Forest was found to be pine or stands of trees where pines and hardwoods were mixed together. The remaining areas were hardwood areas. General recommendations were prescribed by the GFC. The recommendations included prescribed burning of the pine areas, thinning of dense pine stands, and harvest of pine and pine/hardwood mixed stands as markets became available. Prescribed burning was performed in several areas in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. However, timber thinnings and harvests were not conducted prior to 1988 except for those involved in forest research projects.
Dawson Forest City of Atlanta Tract – Then and Now
By Nathan McClure C.F.
Early Years
During the late 1930’s and early 1940’s Roscoe Tucker, a citizen of Dawson County, purchased several small farms. These farms consisted of some cleared fields, abandoned fields and woodlots. By the 1950’s Tucker had obtained enough land to comprise a single contiguous tract of over 10,000 acres. In 1956 initial efforts to establish a military research facility in southern Dawson County were began by the United States Federal government, with the General Services Administration, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Air Force all involved. The needed land was purchased from the Tucker holdings and included what is now the Dawson Forest City of Atlanta Tract.
Cold War Era
The Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory (GNAL) was operated on the site by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation for the US Air Force from the late 1950’s until 1971. The initial intention of research at GNAL was to design a nuclear powered airplane. Although this project was not successful, other radioactive material related research was performed at GNAL. A small (10 mega-watt) radiation effects reactor was used in the research efforts from 1958 through 1970. The site was decommissioned and closed in 1971 by Lockheed. Lockheed, having obtained ownership of the land, sold 10,130.4 acres to the City of Atlanta in 1972. The City was anticipating the need for a second airport for the metropolitan Atlanta area and purchased this tract, as well as 10,000 acres in Paulding County.
The land areas used by GNAL have continuously been monitored and studied for detrimental environmental and health effects since the 1971 decommissioning of the site. Three major post-operational studies of the area have been performed:
(1) Radiation Surveillance and Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division, 1978
(2) Report of the Dawson Forest Task Force, 1991
(3) Radiological Review of the Former Georgia Nuclear Laboratories Site, Camp Dresser and McKee, 1998
The 1978 Report found residual radiation amounts in two areas and recommended fencing of the areas to prevent public access. The areas were fenced at that time. Although the studies performed in 1991 and 1997 showed radiation levels to be at or only slightly above “background” or normal levels in and around the fenced areas, it was decided to maintain the public access restriction. Currently there are two restricted areas comprising approximately 3 acres out of the 10,000 acres. The Georgia Forestry Commission and the Georgia DNR Environmental Protection Division (EPD) monitor these areas. The EPD posts instruments and check them every three months to detect any change in the radiation levels. Both the 1991 and the 1998 Reports indicate that the areas used by GNAL on Dawson Forest do not present a health or safety problem for the public.
Natural Resource Management Administration
No land management occurred on the property from 1973 through 1975 (immediately after purchase of the land by the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation). During this time period the access roads within the property became washed out and overgrown, there was unlimited public access, frequent dumping of garbage and debris, and general deterioration of the site. As a result, officials representing the City asked the Georgia Forestry Commission to manage the City’s land holdings in Dawson and Paulding Counties. In July of 1975 the Commission and the City signed a formal Agreement that established the Georgia Forestry Commission as the manager of the “Dawson Forest” and “Paulding Forest”.
Soon afterwards, the GFC entered into additional Agreements with the Georgia DNR Game and Fish Division (currently Wildlife Resources Division), which allowed for the creation of the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area and Paulding Forest Wildlife Management Area. The Agreements state that the City-owned lands will be available as public hunting and fishing areas and that the DNR will develop areas for wildlife (food and habitat areas) within the Forests. Since that time the DNR Wildlife Resources Division has purchased land to add to the WMA. The Wildlife Resources Division manages these DNR-owned lands for wildlife and the GFC has no management responsibility in these areas.
The Start of Forest Management
Initial activities by the resource managers on City lands focused on improving access and boundaries. Roads were graded with proper drainage installed. Some gates were constructed to limit traffic and reduce damage to secondary forest roads. The boundaries were posted with DNR Wildlife Management Area signs. In 1976 a general inventory of the timber resource was performed which indicated that 82% of the Dawson Forest was found to be pine or stands of trees where pines and hardwoods were mixed together. The remaining areas were hardwood areas. General recommendations were prescribed by the GFC. The recommendations included prescribed burning of the pine areas, thinning of dense pine stands, and harvest of pine and pine/hardwood mixed stands as markets became available. Prescribed burning was performed in several areas in the late 1970’s and 1980’s. However, timber thinnings and harvests were not conducted prior to 1988 except for those involved in forest research projects.
stev
Banned
Bomber plant up on the wma dawson forest.Thats what the ole bunkers sre for on the river.
acurasquirrel
Senior Member
the old bunkers are the concrete filled remains of the reactor building, the triple fenced building near the horse parking area is the hot cell where they store the radioactive material there was also an outside storage area somewhere (I havent found that yet)
acurasquirrel
Senior Member
Here is a good article on it http://www.pickensprogress.com/archive/insidedawsonforest.html
If you google "dawson forest radiation levels" six results down will be a forum post thats a bit scifi for me but its about people who did some exploring Im a bit hesitant to believe all of it though.
If you google "dawson forest radiation levels" six results down will be a forum post thats a bit scifi for me but its about people who did some exploring Im a bit hesitant to believe all of it though.
pnome
Senior Member
dawg2
AWOL ADMINISTRATOR
That is why the deer are so big in there.
hicktownboy
Senior Member
I live in Ball Ground... been up to the forest a few times... so how many of yall ACTUALLY SEEN this place?
Russ Toole
Senior Member
I can walk to an area in Dawson wma that still has old barbed wire fencing with rusted warning signs attached saying keep out radiation area or something like that. There about every 50ft buried in the leaves still attached to the fallen down fencing.
Rem270
Senior Member
Hicktownboy, acurasquirrel and I have hunted it several times. It's a cool place!!! I actually designed a kitchen for an older woman who worked there back in the day. She told me all about the place and the tests. It started out as a place for Lockheed to test a nuclear powered aircraft but then just turned into a place to test open air reactors and the effects of radiation poisoning.
Last edited:
