Walter F. George Lake

Walter F. George Lake

Walter F. George Lock and Dam
Location Alabama–Georgia state line,
United States
Coordinates 31°48′N 85°8′W / 31.800°N 85.133°W / 31.800; -85.133Coordinates: 31°48′N 85°8′W / 31.800°N 85.133°W / 31.800; -85.133
Primary inflows Chattahoochee River
Primary outflows Chattahoochee River
Basin countries United States
Surface area 45,181 acres (182.8 km2)
Average depth 15–18 feet (4.6–5.5 m)
Max. depth 100 ft (30 m)
Shore length1 640 mi (1,030 km)
Surface elevation 190 ft (58 m)
Islands Gopher Island, Rabbit Island
Settlements Eufaula, Alabama
Georgetown, Georgia
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

The Walter F. George Lake, named for Walter F. George (1878–1957), a United States Senator from Georgia, is formed on the Chattahoochee River along the state line between Alabama and Georgia. It is also widely known by the name, Lake Eufaula — particularly in Alabama, where the state legislature passed a resolution on June 25, 1963, to give the lake that name.[1] The 46,000-acre lake extends north about 85 miles (140 km) from the Walter F. George Lock and Dam (31°37′10″N 85°4′15″W / 31.61944°N 85.07083°W / 31.61944; -85.07083 (Walter F. George Lock and Dam)) and has approximately 640 miles (1,030 km) of shoreline. Popular activities along the lake include camping and trophy fishing.

The lake is primarily controlled by the US Army Corp of Engineers. The states control several other protected lands along the lake, including the Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge and Lakepoint State Park in Alabama, and Florence Marina and George T. Bagby state parks in Georgia.

Panoramic view of the reservoir and the dam

The flooding of the land in the area covered numerous historic and prehistoric sites associated with Native American culture. Indigenous peoples had lived along the river for thousands of years. The unincorporated area of Oketeyeconne, Georgia, which historically had a majority of Native American residents, was evacuated in the 1950s to allow creation of the lake.

References

  1. ↑ Fred Brown, et al., The Riverkeeper's Guide to the Chattahoochee River: From Its Origin at Chattahoochee Gap to Apalachicola Bay (University of Georgia Press, 1997)

External links

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