▁the ▁A EC ▁established ▁a ▁permanent ▁e col ogy ▁labor atory ▁on ▁the ▁site ; ▁two ▁Army ▁bar ra cks ▁were ▁converted ▁into ▁labor atory ▁space ▁for ▁the ▁scient ists . ▁The ▁next ▁year , ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Georgia ▁h ired ▁a ▁full - time ▁staff ▁with ▁doctor al ▁degrees ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁research ▁effort . ▁Kn own ▁initially ▁as ▁the ▁Labor atory ▁of ▁Rad iation ▁E col ogy , ▁it ▁was ▁renamed ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s ▁the ▁Sav ann ah ▁River ▁E col ogy ▁Labor atory , ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁broad ▁spectrum ▁of ▁e colog ical ▁studies ▁carried ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁site . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁the ▁He avy ▁Water ▁Com ponents ▁Test ▁Re actor ▁( H W CT R ) ▁went ▁into ▁operation , ▁testing ▁the ▁heavy ▁water ▁system ▁for ▁use ▁with ▁civil ian ▁power ▁react ors . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁Rece iving ▁Bas in ▁for ▁Off - Site ▁Fu els ▁( R BO F ) ▁received ▁its ▁first ▁ship ment ▁of ▁off - site ▁spent ▁nuclear ▁fuel . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁cur ium - 2 4 4 ▁was ▁produced ▁as ▁a ▁heat ▁source ▁for ▁space ▁expl oration . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁full ▁scale ▁conversion ▁of ▁an ▁SR P ▁re actor ▁load ▁to ▁non we ap ons ▁materials . ▁ ▁R - Re actor ▁and ▁H W CT R ▁were ▁shut ▁down ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 5