Lake Burton Facts
- Lake Burton covers 2,775 acres and has 62 miles of shoreline
- It is the highest Georgia Power Lake in Georgia
- Elevation is 1,866,5 feet above sea level
- Of the total 1,172 lake lots, 328 are fee simple lots and 844 are Georgia Power lease lots.... 72% of the total lots are Georgia Power lease lots.
Lake Burton History
In the early 1800's until the time of its removal in 1917, the town of Burton was the largest community in Rabun County with a population of approx 200. The Tallulah River supplied power for number businesses in and near the city. Commerce grew and by the time the town was bought by the Georgia Railway and Electric Company in 1917 it boasted three general stores. One of the purchasing agents for the railroad was John LaPrade, whose land on what now is now the shore of Lake Burton on Georgia 197 would serve as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp and today is the site of LaPrade's Marina and Water's Edge Restaurant. The lake was built in a deep valley located along a ten mile stretch of the Tallulah River. The Lake Burton dam (128 ft in height with a span of 1,100 ft and capable of holding 5 billion cubic feet of water) was closed on December 22, 1919 and the river rose to form Lake Burton. The lake was completely filled by August 18, 1925 and has maintained a full pool ever since. The water is normally lowered in November and raised in March of each year to allow property owners to build and make repairs to their boathouses, dock sand sea walls.
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