Lake Burton and Rabun County was named for Jeremiah Burton, a popular area citizen who would occasionally serve as bailiff in the local superior court and
served in other civic positions.
Lake Burton
At 2,775 acres, Lake Burton is the largest of Georgia Power's
North Georgia lakes.
Lake Burton was one of the first lakes in the United States
created specifically for power generation. With the completion
of the dam at the east end of the lake in 1913, more than 2700
acres of lake were created. In the rugged north Georgia
mountains of Rabun and Burton Counties, Lake Burton has coves galore. Each
is more breathtaking than the last, with peaks jutting high
above the water. The Tallulah River was dammed and the town of
Burton flooded when the lake was completed. Today the lake
serves as a reservoir, controlling the flow of water to Seed
Lake below it.
At 2,775 acres, Lake Burton is the largest of Georgia Power's
North Georgia lakes. Lake Burton, with 62 miles of shoreline.
Lake is formed by concrete gravity dam. Spillway (crest
elevation, 1,860.0 ft) is equipped with eight gates 22 ft wide
by 6.6 ft high. Dam completed in 1919. Total capacity at
elevation 1,866.6 ft, top of gates, is 108,000 acre-ft, of
which 106,000 acre-ft is usable storage. Lake is used for power
development. Capacity curve and month end elevations furnished
by Georgia Power Company.
Lake Burton is located in Rabun and Burton Counties, Georgia
