Houston Lake (Georgia)
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Houston Lake is located approximately ten miles southwest of
Warner Robins, Georgia Warner Robins (typically ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located in Houston and Peach counties in the central part of the state. It is currently Georgia's eleventh-largest incorporated city, with an estimated population of 80,308 in th ...
, in central
Houston County, Georgia Houston County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the Central Georgia, central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The estimated 2019 population is 157,863. Its county seat is Perry, Georgia, Perry; the c ...
on Mossy Creek.


Nearby community

The area around Houston Lake has been populated since the mid-1800s. The first dam at the site was constructed to provide water power for milling operations. By the middle of the 20th century, the 150-acre lake had become a center of recreation with an earthen dam. Upper class private homes, a
country club A country club is a privately owned club, often with a membership quota and admittance by invitation or sponsorship, that generally offers both a variety of recreational sports and facilities for dining and entertaining. Typical athletic offer ...
, and a
golf club A golf club is a club used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a club head. Wood (golf), Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; iron (golf), irons, the most versatile class ...
were constructed around the lake in later half of the century. These developments cut off public access to the lake until the late 1990s.


Flood of 1994

On July 3, 1994,
Tropical Storm Alberto (1994) Tropical Storm Alberto produced extensive flooding over portions of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida in July 1994. The first tropical cyclone and named storm of the annual hurricane season, Alberto developed from a tropical wave over the north ...
came ashore near
Destin, Florida Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Crestview–Fort Walton Beach–Destin, Florida, metropolitan area. Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green ...
. The storm then drifted into central
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
and stalled for days before drifting westward into
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
and dissipating. Severe flooding occurred throughout central Georgia. Nearby
Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia. Situated near the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is located southeast of Atlanta and lies near the geographic center of the state of Geo ...
set a single day rainfall record of 10.25 inches. At
Perry, Georgia Perry is a city in Houston and Peach counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the county seat of Houston County. The population was 13,839 at the 2010 census, up from 9,602 at the 2000 census. As of 2019 the estimated population was 17,894. I ...
, the closest gaging station to Houston Lake, the former records for flood height and flow were shattered; from 8.27 feet and 788 cubic feet/second, to 21.75 feet and 24,000 cubic feet per second, though this record may have been affected by dam breaks upstream. On Tuesday, July 5, 1994, the Houston Lake earthen dam failed. Downstream areas were submerged suddenly, requiring rapid evacuation by emergency personnel. After the floodwaters receded, the lake was left empty and formerly lakefront property overlooking the muddy lake bottom. Controversially, public funds were later used to repair the dam and restore Houston Lake. Outcry over the use of government funds to benefit wealthy landowners and country club members who had long excluded the public was widespread. Ultimately,
FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...
funds were used to rebuild the dam and provide public access for fishing and boating on the lake.


See also


References


External links

Houston Lake Country Club - http://www.houstonlake.com/ {{authority control Bodies of water of Houston County, Georgia Warner Robins, Georgia Reservoirs in Georgia (U.S. state)