Lake Spivey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Spivey |
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 Lake Spivey
Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Lake Spivey
Location in the United States
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| Location | Georgia, USA |
| Coordinates | 33°31′00″N 84°17′39″W / 33.51667°N 84.29417°W |
| Type | Artificial |
| Primary inflows | Rum Creek, Line Creek |
| Primary outflows | Rum Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | Approx. 3 mi (4.8 km) |
| Max. width | Less than 1-mile (1.6 km) |
| Surface area | Approx. 600 acres (195 ha) |
| Average depth | Approx. 10 ft (3.05 m) |
| Max. depth | Approx. 43 ft (13.1 m) |
| Shore length1 | Approx. 11 mi (17.7 km) |
| Surface elevation | 784 ft (238.9 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Spivey is a large, private lake located in Clayton County and Henry County, Georgia. It covers about 600 acres and is near the city of Jonesboro.
Contents
How Lake Spivey Was Created
Lake Spivey was created by Dr. Walter Boone Spivey, a dentist, and his wife Emilie. They bought the land, known as Betts Farm, in 1943. In September 1957, they finished building an earthen dam on Rum Creek. This dam helped form the lake.
At the time, it was promoted as the largest privately owned lake in Georgia. Another lake, Lake Arrowhead, also claims to be the largest private lake. However, official records show Lake Spivey is 600 acres, while Lake Arrowhead is 450 acres.
Developing the Lake Area
The Spiveys did more than just build the lake. They also created a peach orchard and built homes around the lake. Lake Spivey Park opened in June 1959. For many years in the 1960s, the park hosted professional water skiing shows.
In 1963 and 1964, the lake was the site of national boat races. Lake Spivey also became a popular spot for concerts in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Famous bands like Pink Floyd, Blue Öyster Cult, Chicago, Lynyrd Skynyrn, and ZZ Top performed there.
The lake was even used for filming a movie called The Legend of Blood Mountain in 1965. Later, actor Burt Reynolds lived on the lake while filming Smokey and the Bandit in nearby Jonesboro in 1977.
Today, Lake Spivey is in the suburbs, about 20 miles south of downtown Atlanta. It's also close to Atlanta's main airport and the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The area around the lake has eight different neighborhoods, like Lake Spivey Estates and Edgewater.
Who Owns and Manages the Lake?
In 1984, Emilie Spivey gave the lake to the Lake Spivey Civic Association. This group now owns and manages the lake. Only people who own property in the eight communities around the lake can be members.
Each community has a marina or smaller docking areas for boats. It's important to know that Lake Spivey is a private lake, so there is no public access for visitors.
How Water Flows Through the Lake
Water flows into Lake Spivey from several places. These include Rum Creek, Line Creek (which comes through nearby Lake Jodeco), Vaughn Branch, and Indian Lake. The water then flows out of Lake Spivey through Rum Creek.
Rum Creek eventually connects to Little Cotton Indian Creek and the Clayton County Reservoir. All these creeks and rivers are part of the larger Ocmulgee River watershed.
Fun Activities at Lake Spivey
The Lake Spivey Civic Association has rules for boating on the lake. During the day, boats can go up to 40 miles per hour. After sunset, the speed limit is 5 miles per hour.
Residents enjoy many water activities, including:
- Cruising in pontoon boats
- Jet skiing
- Water skiing and wakeboarding
- Canoeing and kayaking
- Tubing and swimming
- Fishing
Every Fourth of July, the civic association puts on a big fireworks show. Residents watch from their boats or along the shoreline. There's also a special course for slalom water skiing near the dam, which is often used in the summer.
Lake Spivey holds a special record for fishing! It's tied for the Georgia state record for the largest black crappie ever caught. In 1975, Steve Cheek caught a crappie that weighed 4 pounds, 4 ounces.
Community Events and Recognition
In 2008, the Lake Spivey Road Race was started to promote the neighborhoods around the lake. This annual running event takes place in November and has a 5K (about 3.1 miles) and a 15K (about 9.3 miles) course. The 15K course goes all the way around Lake Spivey and Lake Jodeco. Both courses are known for being quite hilly, which makes them a challenge for runners.
In 2009-2010, the Georgia government officially named a part of Georgia State Route 138 the "Lake Spivey Parkway." This helps recognize the lake's importance to the area.
In 2011, the civic association created a green space at the west end of the lake for residents to enjoy. In 2013 and 2014, Lake Spivey hosted the "Swim Across America" event. This charity swim raised money for cancer research.
The communities around Lake Spivey are next to several parks, including the Clayton County International Park and Reid Stephens Heritage Park.
