Chatuge Lake

Lake Chatuge is a man-made reservoir in Towns County, Georgia, and Clay County, North Carolina. It lies along the Hiwassee River created by the Chatuge Dam which finished construction in 1942. The lake is relatively shallow with depths of and reaches by the dam. Lake Chatuge is the highest major lake in the state of Georgia. Chatuge Lake takes up 7,000 acres (2,800 ha). The construction of Chatuge Dam and its reservoir required the purchase of 11,641 acres (4,711 ha) of land, 1,904 acres (771 ha) of which had to be cleared. 278 families, 532 graves, and 40 miles (64 km) of roads (including part of U.S. Route 64) had to be relocated. One house relocated from the Elf community during the clearing of the land later became the Clay County School District superintendent’s office until 2005. Chatuge Dam was raised ten feet in 1954 so the lake level could rise an additional four feet. See also List of dams and reservoirs in the United States