Lake Oconee is located in the Altamaha River watershed in Eastern Central Georgia along the Oconee river. It is the ninth largest lake in Georgia at just under 19,000 acres and has roughly 374 miles of coastline. The lake was formed in 1979 when Georgia Power constructed the Wallace Dam across the Oconee river just outside of Greensboro, Georgia. Like all large reservoirs in Georgia, Lake Oconee was formed by flooding the river valley, and thus the lake follows the dendritic pattern of the surrounding foothills, giving it a “finger lake” appearance
Owned and maintained by Georgia Power, the lake is used for many purposes including: flood control, hydropower generation, water supply, recreation, and fishing and wildlife management. In it’s current state the lake is relatively healthy and supports a variety of wildlife, such as largemouth bass, sunfish, catfish, hybrid bass, multiple species of turtle, and many species of local water birds. There have also been efforts to introduce a population of striped bass. Typically a saltwater species, striped bass have been introduced into many lakes in Georgia primarily for recreational fishing, but also as an attempt to expand the population due to decreasing number in their home waters of the northeast United States.
Lake Oconee gets it’s name from the nearby Creek Nation town of the same name. In pre-colonial North America the river served as the boundary between the Creek and Cherokee nations, as well as providing food, water and transportation. Many artifacts have been found along the lakebed and the surrounding area, suggesting that there were settlements where the lake now stands before the indigenous peoples were driven out. Today the lakeshore has a different feel, housing many luxury vacation homes and multiple golf courses. It sits in Georgia’s famous “Lake Country” and is a popular getaway spot for people all over the state.
Sources and further reading:
Southeast Discovery: http://www.southeastdiscovery.com/blog/2014/03/georgias-lake-country-the-evolvement-of-lake-oconee/
Georgia EPD: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi5n5f16s30AhUClWoFHXNZDiYQFnoECAIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fepd.georgia.gov%2Fdocument%2Fpublication%2Flakes-oconee-and-sinclair-technical-approach-revised-8-10-18pdf%2Fdownload&usg=AOvVaw0jtyoSr2LvCYw640yzEMlQ
Lake Website: https://www.reynoldslakeoconee.com