Lake Burton Info
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Lake Burton is a 2,775 acre reservoir with 62 miles 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. Now, they only provide peak power supply. The lake was built in a deep valley located along a 10 mile 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 and a span of 1,100 feet . The spillway is equipped with eight gates 22 feet wide by 6.6 feet high. The total capacity at an elevation of 1,866.6 feet is 108,000 acre-ft , of which 106,000 acre-ft is usable storage. The generating capacity of the dam is 6,120 kilowatts . Lake Burton is the highest Georgia Power lake in Georgia. Lake Burton gets its named from the town of Burton, which was the second largest town in Rabun County with a population of approximately 200 but now lies below the lake's surface. The town 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 1800s. The Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park are located on the western side of the lake. The lake is home to several species of fish, including Spotted Bass, Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, White Catfish, Walleye, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Yellow Perch. The residents of Lake Burton are a mix of permanent residents and seasonal vacationers who together make-up the Lake Burton Civic Association, a local organization who goal is to maintain the lake through volunteer clean-ups and other such events. Events of InterestFourth of July fireworks at Lake Burton have been an annual tradition for more than 25 years. The fireworks display was begun and continues to be run by a lifelong Lake Burton resident, Hal Rhoad. Though not a Lake Burton Civic Association sponsored event, the July 4th fireworks display is funded by donations from LBCA members. The fireworks are set off the Saturday before July 4 from Billy Goat Island, an island on the south side of the lake. Most people view the fireworks from boats driven near the island. As Lake Burton is set in the Appalachian Mountains the fireworks echo off the surrounding mountains, providing another auditory level to the visual feast of the fireworks. Two-time NCAA football champion and former head coach in the NFL, Coach Nick Saban owns a home which he had custom built on the shore of the lake in 2008. Former Georgia football star Fran Tarkenton and former Georgia football coach Vince Dooley also own homes on Lake Burton. Cyclist Jim Jenkins also has a place on the lake. YMCA Camp High HarbourThe YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta operates its primary campus of Camp High Harbour near the headwaters of Lake Burton. This facility is the site of summer residential camps, leadership programs and youth retreats. External links |
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