Lake Burton (Georgia)
| Lake Burton | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Rabun County, Georgia |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 34°49′37″N 83°33′18″W / 34.8269°N 83.5551°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Tallulah River |
| Primary outflows | Tallulah River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 2,775 acres (1,123 ha) |
Lake Burton is a 2,775 acre (11.23 km²) reservoir with 62 miles (100 km) of shoreline located in the northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the first lake in a six-lake series called the Tallulah River Watershed that follows the original course of the Tallulah River. The chain begins with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Lake Tallulah Falls, Lake Tugalo, and Lake Yonah. The lakes are owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company to generate hydroelectric energy for Georgia's largest city, Atlanta. At one time these lakes were the largest producers of electricity in the state of Georgia. At present the lakes provide power only during periods of peak electricity consumption.
The lake was built in a deep valley located along a 10-mile (16 km) section of the Tallulah River. The Lake Burton Dam was closed on December 22, 1919 and the lake started to fill. The dam is a gravity concrete dam, with a height of 128 feet (39 m) and a span of 1,100 feet (340 m). The spillway is equipped with eight gates 22 feet (6.7 m) wide by 6.6 feet (2.0 m) high. The total capacity at an elevation of 1,866.6 feet (568.9 m) is 108,000 acre·ft (133,000,000 m3), of which 106,000 acre·ft (131,000,000 m3) is usable storage. The generating capacity of the dam is 6,120 kilowatts (two units). Lake Burton is the highest Georgia Power lake in Georgia. House owners rent the land under 99 year leases and all the land is owned by the Georgia Power.
Lake Burton's name was derived from the town of Burton, which was the second largest town in Rabun County with a population of approximately 200. The former town now lies below the lake's surface. The town (and the lake) was named after local prominent citizen Jeremiah Burton and was situated along the road from Clayton, Georgia to the Nacoochee Valley. Andrew Jackson Ritchie served as the postmaster for the area for several years. Gold was first discovered in Rabun County where Dicks Creek and the Tallulah River come together and was the reason for the town's founding in the early 19th century.
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