Lake Rabun is a twisty

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

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 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 ...

Rabun County Rabun County () is the north-easternmost county in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,883, up from 16,276 in 2010. The county seat is Clayton. With an average annual rainfall of over , Rabun County has the ...

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

Tallulah River :''This article refers to the river. For the town, see Tallulah Falls, Georgia, for the lake, see Tallulah Falls Lake and for the waterfalls and gorge, see Tallulah Gorge.'' The Tallulah River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography ...

. The series begins with

Lake Burton Lake Burton may refer to: *Lake Burton (Georgia), a lake in Rabun County, Georgia * Lake Burton (Quebec), a lake near Long Island, Quebec *Lake Burton (Antarctica) Lake Burton, also known as Burton Lagoon, is a meromictic and saline lake in th ...

as the northernmost lake, followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun,

Lake Tallulah Falls Tallulah Falls Lake is a reservoir with of shoreline located in the Northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the fourth and smallest lake in a six-lake series created by hydroelectric dams operated by Georgia Power that follows the ...

Lake Tugalo Lake Tugalo is a reservoir with of shoreline located in the northeastern Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia in Habersham County, Georgia, Habersham and Rabun County, Georgia, Rabun counties, but also lies partially in Oconee County, South Carolina. It ...

, and

Lake Yonah Lake Yonah is a lake on the Tugaloo River, separating Georgia and South Carolina. The lake is created by the Yonah Dam, which is owned and operated by Georgia Power, and generates 22 megawatts. Lake Yonah is a residential lake with 72 vacation a ...

. 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 Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was established as the Georgia Railway and Power Company and began operations in 1902 running streetcars in Atlanta as a successor to the Atlanta Consolida ...

to generate

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

energy for Georgia's largest city,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. 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 .

4th 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 ''Rabun'' is a 2003 Malaysian drama film directed by Yasmin Ahmad. It tells a story about a free-spirited older couple, Pak Atan and Mak Inom who decide to spend more time in the country after getting tired of city life. But they find that life ...

Protected areas of Rabun County, Georgia

Georgia Power dams Bodies of water of Rabun County, Georgia Lakes of Georgia (U.S. state)