Special offer

Lake Sinclair- my lake, but I'm willing to share it with you too.

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 GREC# 169695

I sell real estate in and around Lake Sinclair and I'd like to tell you a little about what I like to call "MY" lake.  Even though technically GA Power owns "my" lake I have so many wonderful memories that stretch back as far as I can remember of Little River and Lake Sinclair that it feels like my lake.  I remember going to my Uncle Jack's lake place and swimming to the island.  That island it's an island anymore, it has a causeway built to it.  There of course is also under the bridge at Little River where my parents used to take my family on Sunday afternoons.  We'd swim, we'd picnic, we'd swim some more.  I love this lake and I'd like to share some information about it with you.

Lake Sinclair is 15,300 acres of beauty.  It has 417 miles of shoreline and stretches through Putnam, Baldwin and Hancock Counties.

Sinclair Dam construction began by Georgia Power Company in 1929, but was stopped in 1930.  The depression took hold and suspended the lake for more than 19 years.  Work on the dam resumed in 1949 under the supervision of B.W. Sinclair, the superintendent of power plant construction and operations (who the lake was named for) and finished in 1953.  The dedication of the dam took place on July 28, 1954 on the eve of B.W. Sinclair's retirement.

Not only does lake Sinclair create power at the Sinclair Dam, but also at Plant Branch built in the Beaver Dam area of Lake Sinclair where lake waters are used for cooling towers at the coal fired generation power plant.  The water released are now cooled back off in the summer months to protect the fish, but can be as much as 10 degrees warmer when released back into the lake.  It makes for wonderful fishing in parts of the lake in the winter months.  There are several local and national fishing tournaments on Lake Sinclair annually.  Large-mouth Bass, Crappie and catfish are harvest-able sized.  The shoreline is very developed with private homes, but there are also several public access areas and several private marinas with low launch fees.

In 1979 Lake Oconee was created to the north of Lake Sinclair as a pumped storage reservoir for Lake Sinclair.  In drought situations Lake Oconee may be down, but because it was built as a reservoir for Lake Sinclair during the severe drought just that just passed Lake Sinclair remained at full pool.  They have to keep the levels up for the cooling purposes at Plant Branch, so when many other lakes in Georgia had as much as 20 feet low water levels Lake Sinclair remained at full pool.  The addition of Wallace Dam at Lake Oconee also created additional power generation during flow through to Lake Sinclair.  On a daily basis water is pumped into Lake Oconee and then released again into Lake Sinclair.  It generally is around 18 inches per day.  So our lake has a man made tide daily.  During peak power usage in summer months it is sometimes closer to 24 inches.  As a general rule water is pumped from late evening and during the overnight hours to Lake Oconee and our low tide is early in the morning and then we begin to fill back to full pool.  Full pool for Lake Sinclair is 340 feet above sea level. 

Sinclair Dam is 104 feet hight and 2,988 feet long and the height is 343 feet above sea level.  Lake Sinclair has depths as much as 90 feet.  It's the perfect spot for outdoor recreational activities.  From early spring you can find people on skis and sea-dos all over the lake and fishing is great year round.  One of my favorite times is the 4th of July where one local marina has for the past several years had a professional fireworks show and you can find boats lined up for miles on the lake anchored and awaiting dusk for the show to begin.  There is also miles of the shore where docks provide a perfect view of the show.

My parents moved from downtown Eatontont Lake Sinclair in 1974, but I was already familiar with the lake from my Uncle Jack's place located just across 441 from the power plant.  He had a Bait and Tackle store for years.  Later that building became a restaurant and bar.  That area is now home to the Georgia DNR boathouse where rangers go to patrol the lake by boat daily. 

There are lots of little fingers and coves on Lake Sinclair because it's not just made up of the Oconee River which was where the dam was built, but by many smaller tributaries flowing into the lake.  Beaver Dam, Crooked Creek,  Rooty Creek, Sandy Run, Shoulder Bone, Potato Creek, Island Creek, Rocky Creek, Nancy Branch, Reedy Branch, Cold Branch, Murder Creek and Little River are the major contributors.

It's a beautiful place to live and filled with Nature.  I love to watch the ducks and we even have several bald eagle nests around the lake where you can watch them soar and fly in the mornings.  If you ever get this way, stop and visit Lake Sinclair.  I promise, you will want to stay.

 
Posted by

706-485-9668  us on facebook

Tammy@Lake-Sinclair.com

(Click on Lane Realty Logo for web site)

Tammy Lankford, Broker/Owner

 

Broker License # 169695  Lane Realty License # H-11420

Real Estate Instructor License # 355089

Call me today for all your Lake Sinclair real estate needs.

 Search for homes on Lake Sinclair now

For readers who are not members of ActiveRain feel free to also add your comments or you can click on the EMAIL me link to the right of this blog and email me.  Thanks for reading.

All content belongs to me unless otherwise stated.  Do not use without permission.  Logos and photographs may also be copyright registered. Please do not use without my express written permission.

                                                                                                                  

          

Comments (13)

Andrea Bedard
Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 - Silver Spring, MD
Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS

Hi Tammy, what an informative blog about Lake Sinclair. Given your roots, knowledge and many happy memories, perhaps it should be renamed into Lake Tammy!

Aug 20, 2012 03:02 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Nah, while it's my lake and I'll always feel that way, I kinda like it being Lake SInclair. 

Aug 20, 2012 03:08 PM
Joe Petrowsky
Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT
Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

Thank you for sharing such fond memories and history of Lake Sinclaire with all of us. Besides all the good that the lake does in the communities, there sure is a lot of beauty.

Aug 20, 2012 07:19 PM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Tammy. I really enjoyed this. Your personal memories and reflections coupled with the great information you provided make this a winner. Suggested.

On a totally different note, will you go to the Pet Project and check out Kathy Sheehan's post about needing help in finding a home for some kittens. I don't know what else to do and at leasy you are in the same state and may have other resources I don't know. Thanks.

Aug 20, 2012 10:55 PM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Joe- I do remember such happy times at the lake and it's  history is nice too.

Sheila- Kathy has reached out to me and I have feels out in every direction I know looking for a home fo them.  Thanks for pointing her my way.  I hope I can find a home for them.  Have a big advocate friend also helping too.

Aug 20, 2012 11:46 PM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

If there's anyone who wants to know all about Lake Sinclair YOU are, indeed, the person to go to.  The same can be said of anyone wanting to buy or sell their Lake Sinclair property - YOU are the person to go to!  Wonderful information.

Aug 21, 2012 05:09 AM
Ron Marshall
Marshall Enterprises - Saint Michael, MN
Birdhouse Builder Extraordinaire

Wow!  What a Localism post.  You are the Queen of Lake Sinclair.  I understand why you call it YOUR lake.  Great info!

Aug 21, 2012 07:46 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Thanks very much Tammy. I really appreciate it. Let me know if there is anything I can do.

Aug 21, 2012 07:53 AM
Jason Sardi
Auto & Home & Life Insurance throughout North Carolina - Charlotte, NC
Your Agent for Life

Give me a Pontoon Boat and a Keg, I'll call it MY Lake too ;)

Nice post, Tammy.

@Sheila - Not sure about Tammy, but I could use $100.00.

Aug 21, 2012 08:27 AM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

Tammy, You sound very passionate about your lake and with all those memories it really is your lake too.

Aug 21, 2012 12:00 PM
Inna Ivchenko
Barcode Properties - Encino, CA
Realtor® • GRI • HAFA • PSC Calabasas CA

I love your pictures:)

Another great post about your ( YOUR!) lake:)

lol, i do love the name of this one!:

''my lake, but I'm willing to share it with you too.''

Aug 22, 2012 07:03 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

Carla- thanks.  I try to keep up :)

Ron- hmmm, I'll start trying to rule right now and let you know how that goes. LOL

Sheila- kitty prayers

Jason- the DNR frowns on those two things together.

Debbie-  I love my lake

Inna- I truly love my lake and it always makes beautiful photos.

Aug 22, 2012 07:21 AM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

That is so generous of you, Tammy, to be sharing a place you obviously love so much.  I hope people appreciate that.

Aug 22, 2012 08:27 AM