Lake Blackshear facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Blackshear |
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 Lake Blackshear
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Lake Blackshear
Location in the United States
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| Location | Georgia |
| Coordinates | 31°50′53″N 83°56′31″W / 31.848°N 83.942°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Flint River |
| Primary outflows | Flint River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 20 mi (32 km) |
| Max. width | 1 mi (1.6 km) |
| Surface area | 8,500 acres (34 km2) |
| Average depth | 10.5 ft (3.2 m) |
| Max. depth | 47 ft (14 m) |
| Shore length1 | 95 mi (153 km) |
| Surface elevation | 237 ft (72 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Blackshear is a cool man-made lake in Georgia. It was created by building a big dam on the Flint River. This lake is named after a famous person, General David Blackshear.
Lake Blackshear: A Man-Made Wonder
Lake Blackshear is a special kind of lake called a reservoir. It was made by people building a dam across the Flint River. Construction on the dam started in 1925 and finished in 1930. The lake is named after General David Blackshear, who was important in Georgia's history.
Building the Dam
The dam that created Lake Blackshear is called the Crisp County Power Dam. It's also known as the Warwick Dam. This dam was very important because it was the first power dam in the United States that was owned, built, and run by a county!
To make this possible, a special change had to be made to the Georgia State Constitution. This change allowed Crisp County to build and operate the dam. The dam started making electricity in August 1930. It is managed by the Crisp County Power Commission.
What's in the Lake?
Lake Blackshear is about 20 miles (32 km) long. It changes in width, but it's usually less than one mile (1.6 km) wide. The lake covers a large area of about 8,500 acres (34 km2).
When the dam was built, not much effort was made to cut down the trees that would soon be underwater. People thought the trees would just die and disappear once they were covered by water. While many trees did die, you can still see many living Cypress trees in the middle of the lake. There are also many dead trees that are still standing.
In some areas, especially in the northern part of the lake, there are many tree stumps hidden just below the water. These stumps can be a bit tricky for people using boats. They are popular spots for some fishermen, but boaters need to be careful to avoid them.
The lake touches five different counties in Southwest Georgia: Crisp, Dooly, Lee, Sumter and Worth.
Fun Things to Do
On the east side of Lake Blackshear, you'll find the Georgia Veterans State Park. This park is a great place to visit! Inside the park, there's the Lake Blackshear Resort & Golf Club. Visitors there can enjoy amazing views of the lake.
