Lake Jodeco is a private 70 acre man-made lake in

Clayton County, Georgia Clayton County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2021, the population was estimated to be 297,100 by the Census Bureau. The county seat is Jonesboro. Clayton County is included in the Atlanta metropo ...

, east of

Jonesboro, Georgia Jonesboro is a city in and the county seat of Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,724 as of the 2010 census. The city's name was originally spelled Jonesborough. During the Civil War, the final skirmish in the Atlanta Cam ...

. The area now known as Lake Jodeco was once inhabited by the Muskogee Creek Nation.

History

Prior to the end of World War II, the Lake Jodeco area was rural farm land connected to the City of Jonesboro by a one-lane dirt road. In the lowland of this farming area was a small mill pond with a crude earthen dam. Dr. Walter Spivey (who was born on a farm in North Carolina and attended what is now Duke University) was a practicing dentist in Atlanta. One of Dr. Spivey's patients, the Sheriff of Clayton County, W. Loy Dickson (brother of Jonesboro's late Mayor Hugh Dickson) sold Dr. and Mrs. Spivey 800 acres just five miles east of Jonesboro which they intended to farm and eventually develop. A tenant house stood on the piece of property which is now the corner of Jodeco Road and Jodeco Drive. The lake itself was created in 1947. Its name was derived out of the Jonesboro Development Corporation, an organization formed by Dr. Spivey and several associates. There are 212 homesites in addition to several access lots and common docks for all lake residents to enjoy lake access. Lake Jodeco sits adjacent to the much larger

Lake Spivey Lake Spivey is a (, ) private lake located in Clayton County and Henry County, Georgia near Jonesboro. History The lake was created by Dr. Walter Boone Spivey, a prominent Buckhead dentist, and his wife Emilie. The lake formed following the co ...

. Lake Jodeco was the first of the two lakes created by Dr. Spivey. The two lakes are separated by Jodeco Road which sits on a

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

and a small bridge. Outflows from Lake Jodeco enter Lake Spivey at the bridge. The outflows continue over the Lake Spivey dam spillway and into Rum Creek in Henry County, Georgia.

Ownership

The Lake Jodeco Homeowners Association was formed in 1969. In 1975, the deed to Lake Jodeco was transferred to the homeowners association which owns and maintains the lake today. Members of the homeowners association enjoy fishing, kayaking and cruising on pontoon boats. Jet-skis and speed boats are not permitted on the lake. There are no marinas or common docks. Boaters are limited to speeds of 5-mph or less.

Recreation

In 2008 the Lake Spivey Road Race was created to promote the neighborhoods around the lakes. 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 the 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 ...

(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. Fishing is also an important part of life on the lake and the lake has produced a number of state records. Lake Jodeco's annual bass tournament with participants including homeowner association members, family, and friends has been well attended for almost 20 years(2002). The tournament takes place in June of each year.

References

Sources

*Marshall, Elisabeth Hulsey (1991).
A Unique Partnership: Walter and Emilie Spivey
'. The Walter and Emilie Spivey Foundation, Inc. - Retrieved 11 April 2013.

External links

* at

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

Lake Spivey Civic AssociationLake Jodeco's HOA website
{{authority control Bodies of water of Clayton County, Georgia Jodeco