Lake Burton (Georgia)

Infobox lake
lake_name = Lake Burton
image_lake = Lake Burton with boat.jpg
caption_lake =
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location = Rabun County, Georgia
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type = reservoir
inflow = Tallulah River
outflow = Tallulah River
catchment =
basin_countries = United States
length =
width =
area = 2,775 acres (11.23 km²)
depth =
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Lake Burton is a 2,775 acre (11.23 km²) artificial lake with 62 miles (100 km) of shoreline located in the northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the first lake in a five-lake series called the Tallulah River Watershed that follows the original course of the Tallulah River. The series of lakes starts with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Lake Tallulah Falls and the eastern arm of Lake Tugalo (the western arm is formed by the Chattooga River. 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 (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 convert|128|ft|m and a span of convert|1100|ft|m. The spillway is equipped with eight gates convert|22|ft|m wide by convert|6.6|ft|m high. The total capacity at an elevation of convert|1866.6|ft|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.

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 (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 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 Interest

Fourth 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 4th 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.

NEWS FLASH: The Burton fish hatchery is shutting down. That means no more trout in Lake Burton. Everyone against it voice your opinion.

External links

* [http://www.southerncompany.com/gapower/lakes/Burton.asp?mnuOpco=gpc&mnuType=sub&mnuItem=lr Georgia Power Website for Lake Burton]
* [http://www.georgialakeinfo.com/burton/info.shtml Lake Burton Information]
* [http://lakes.southernco.com/ Georgia Power lake levels]