Lake Rabun is a twisty

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

with of shoreline located in the Northeastern corner of the U.S. state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

in Rabun County. It is the third lake in a six-lake series that follows the original course of the

Tallulah River The Tallulah River ( ) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 26, 2011 river in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and North Carolina. It begins in Clay County, North Car ...

. The series begins with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake, followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Lake Tallulah Falls, Lake Tugalo, and Lake Yonah. Lake Rabun was built in a deep valley located along a section of the

. The lakes are owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company to generate

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

energy for Georgia's largest city,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

. At one time these lakes were the largest producers of electricity in the state of Georgia. Now, they only provide peak power supply.

History

Lake Rabun's Mathis Dam was completed in May 1915, but the lake was not filled for ten years waiting for the completion of a tunnel from near the dam to the power generator at Tallulah Falls. It then created a reservoir of over ten million gallons covering with a normal water level of above mean sea level. The property was purchased by the Georgia Railway and Power Company (later renamed Georgia Power Company). The Mathis Dam is an ambursen-type concrete dam with a height of and a span of . The Terrora Hydroelectric Plant at Mathis Dam has a generation capacity of 16,000 kilowatts. The reservoir elevation is listed as 1,683 feet on topographic maps, but Georgia Power considers the lake full at an elevation of .

Fourth of July traditions

The Lake Rabun Association (LRA) sponsors and coordinates Lake Rabun's Fourth of July celebration. Each year, a wooden boat parade follows the shore lines of the lake. Prizes are given to the most decorated boat and boat house. Another tradition is the Rabun Ramble Road Race, a 5K & 10K, that winds along the shores of the north side of the lake. The race is a marathon qualifier with over 800 participants each year to raise funds for the Lake Rabun Foundation. In the evening fireworks are visible over the lake from hundreds of boats along its lower basin.

Tour of homes

Every other year, the LRA conducts a tour of homes that is open to the public. The tour raises money for local scholarships. The LRA sells up to 600 tickets with the tour starting at the historic Hall's Boathouse Marina.

Lake homes

Due to the large growth of Atlanta in recent years, Lake Rabun has become a second home to some of the most wealthy and politically connected individuals in the state of Georgia. Although Lake Rabun has experienced a housing boom due to leased lots by the Georgia Power Company, most home owners are summer weekend residents.

External links

Lake Rabun Association (LRA)

Weather on the Lake

Georgia Power Lake Levels
* http://www.rabunramble.com/ {{authority control Rabun Protected areas of Rabun County, Georgia Rabun Georgia Power dams Bodies of water of Rabun County, Georgia Lakes of Georgia (U.S. state)