Lake Spivey is a (, ) private lake located in Clayton County and Henry County,

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 ...

near Jonesboro.

History

The lake was created by Dr. Walter Boone Spivey, a prominent

Buckhead Buckhead is the wikt:uptown, uptown commercial and residential district of the city of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, comprising approximately the northernmost fifth of the city. Buckhead is the third largest business district within ...

dentist, and his wife Emilie. The lake formed following the completion of construction on an earthen dam on Rum Creek in September 1957. The lake was built on land, formerly known as Betts Farm, which was purchased by the Spiveys in September 1943. The dam formed what was promoted as the largest privately owned lake in the state of Georgia. Lake Arrowhead in

Waleska, Georgia Waleska ( ) is a city in Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. The population was 644 at the 2010 census. History The first white settlement in the Waleska area began in the early 1830s. Among these first pioneer settlers were the Reinhardt, ...

is also promoted as the largest private lake in Georgia.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Georgia. Structure The agency has statewide responsibilities for managing and conserving Georgia’s natural, cultural, and historical resource ...

records indicate that Lake Spivey is 600 acres and Lake Arrowhead is 450 acres at normal pool level.

Development and use

The Spiveys also created a peach orchard, residential developments around the lake, and Lake Spivey Park on the property. The park opened in June 1959. For years in the 1960s the park served as the venue for professional water skiing shows. In 1963 and 1964 the lake was the venue for the now defunct National Outboard Association (NOA) National championship boat races. Lake Spivey was the backdrop for numerous concerts in the late 1960s and early 1970s including performances by the bands

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Freddie King Freddie King (born Fred Christian; September 3, 1934December 28, 1976), also billed as Freddy King, was an American blues guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with Albert King a ...

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, B. B. King,

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, and

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. The lake was the location filming for the movi
The Legend of Blood Mountain
(1965) starring George Ellis and

Erin Fleming Erin Leslie Fleming (August 13, 1941 – April 15, 2003) was a Canadian actress, best known as the companion and manager of comedian Groucho Marx during his final years. Early career Fleming was born Marilyn Suzanne Fleming on August 13, 1 ...

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lived on the lake during the filming of

Smokey and the Bandit ''Smokey and the Bandit'' is a 1977 American action comedy road film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. The film marks the directorial debut of stuntman Hal Needham ...

(1977) in Jonesboro. Located in the suburbs south of downtown

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, Lake Spivey is also from

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( to the new International Terminal) and less than from the

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. Lake Spivey was originally developed with seven residential communities; Lake Spivey Estates, Lost Valley, Bay View, South Bay, The Landings, Forest Estates, and North Shore. An eighth community, Edgewater on Lake Spivey, was created in 1997 on property once occupied by the lake clubhouse.

Ownership

In 1984 the lake was deeded by Emilie Spivey to th
Lake Spivey Civic Association
which owns and manages the lake today. Members of the association include only property owners from the eight communities around the lake. Each community has either one central marina or several smaller mooring strips located around the lake for access and docking. The lake has no public access.

Hydrology

Inflows to the lake include Rum Creek, Line Creek via adjacent () Lake Jodeco, Vaughn Branch from Drakes Lake and Drakes Landing Lake, and Indian Lake from Clayton County International Park. Outflow from the lake is through Rum Creek. Rum Creek flows into Little Cotton Indian Creek and the Clayton County Reservoir in Henry County. From the Clayton County Reservoir, Little Cotton Indian Creek flows into Big Cotton Indian Creek. Big Cotton Indian Creek flows into the South River and Lake Jackson. These are all part of the

Ocmulgee River The Ocmulgee River () is a western tributary of the Altamaha River, approximately 255 mi (410 km) long, in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the westernmost major tributary of the Altamaha.Recreational boating on the lake is restricted by the Lake Spivey Civic Association to a 40-mph speed limit during day-light hours and 5-mph after sunset. Residents enjoy cruising with pontoon boats, jet skiing, water skiing, wakeboarding, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, swimming, and fishing. Every Fourth of July the civic association puts on a fireworks display which residents enjoy from their boats and along the shoreline. A slalom water skiing course is permanently located near the dam. Water skiers can typically be seen on the course during the summer months when the lack of wind makes for ideal conditions. Lake Spivey is tied as the location for the Georgia state record for the largest

black crappie The black crappie (''Pomoxis nigromaculatus'') is a freshwater fish in the sunfish family ( Centrarchidae). It is endemic to North America, one of the two types of crappies. It is very similar to the white crappie (''P. annularis'') in size, s ...

caught. Hooked by Steve Cheek in 1975, the fish weighed 4 lbs 4 oz.Georgia Department of Natural Resources – Wildlife Resources Division http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/162 In 2006 the community worked with

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

officials to allow the city, state, and Zip+4 last line mailing address of "Lake Spivey, GA 30236+4" in addition to the previously accepted "Jonesboro, GA 30236+4". In 2008 the Lake Spivey Road Race was created to promote the neighborhoods around the lake. The annual foot race, which takes place in November, features a 5K and 15K course. Participants on the 15K course run the circumference of Lake Spivey and Lake Jodeco. Both courses are

USA Track & Field USA Track & Field (USATF) is a United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running, and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and 1 ...

(USATF) certified and provide a challenge to runners as the topography is quite hilly. The USATF course numbers are GA09021WC for the 5K and GA08011WC for the 15K. During the 2009-2010 regular session the General Assembly of Georgia approved that the portion of Georgia State Route 138 between Interstate 675 and the limits of the City of Jonesboro be designated the Lake Spivey Parkway. In 2011 the civic association created green space at the west most portion of the lake for use by residents and their guests. In 2013 and 2014 Lake Spivey played host to the

Swim Across America Swim Across America Inc., (SAA) is a nonprofit dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention, and treatment. It does so by hosting charity swims and donating the proceeds to a hospital. Since its founding, SAA has gr ...

, Atlanta open water swim charity event to raise funds for cancer research. The lake communities are bordered by the Clayton County International Park, Reid Stephens Heritage Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, and Lake Spivey Country Club to the north, and Lake Jodeco to the south.

References

Sources

*Marshall, Elisabeth Hulsey (1991).
A Unique Partnership: Walter and Emilie Spivey
'. The Walter and Emilie Spivey Foundation, Inc.

External links

Clayton County International Park
* at

GNIS The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database of name and location information about more than two million physical and cultural features, encompassing the United States and its territories; the associated states of the Marshal ...

Lake Spivey Civic AssociationLake Spivey Road RaceSwim Across AmericaUSA Track & Field
{{authority control Bodies of water of Clayton County, Georgia Spivey