Clemson’s campus was not always bordered by a lake. The Seneca River used to run right beside Clemson University. It is now flooded by what it is now Lake Hartwell. The figure below is a topographic map that illustrates what the eastern section of Clemson’s Campus looked like in 1951. Lake Hartwell did not exist in 1951. Lake Hartwell, Lake Issaqueena, and Lake Keowee were all built for recreational purposes.
Remnants of this river remain, and can be seen by the bodies of water located near the baseball stadium. In the 1950s, a plan to dam the Seneca River was initiated ,and the dam was finished and filled by 1962. However, the dam project was not without problems. One issue was that the dam would flood a good portion of Clemson’s agricultural land and Death Valley Stadium. To solve this problem, two diversion dams (commonly called the dikes today) were built to redirect the river channel enough to avoid flooding Clemson land. Evidence of older meanders of the river can be seen where you find the geocache!
Make sure to bring your own pen!