Lake Oliver
Encyclopedia
Lake Oliver is a 2150 acres (8.7 km²) reservoir
on the Chattahoochee River
, which lies south of Goat Rock Dam (Goat Rock Lake
). The lake is created by the Oliver Dam and Generating Plant, which was completed in 1959 by Georgia Power
. The lake was named for James McCoy Oliver, an executive of Georgia Power at the time. Oliver Dam has four turbine units, and the dam itself is 70 feet tall and 2150 feet (655.3 m) long. At the southern end of the reservoir
, Lake Oliver is relatively wide but quickly narrows and becomes almost riverine at the northern end of the lake at the foot of Goat Rock Dam.
Public access to the lake is limited to one marina owned by the City of Columbus. Since Lake Oliver is entirely within the city limits of Columbus, Georgia
, the shore is densely settled on both the Georgia
and Alabama
sides. Green Island Hills
, an upscale development, is located on the lake at the mouth of Standing Boy Creek. Given the amount of settlement, there are many private access points to the lake.
In the summer, the lake is very crowded with recreational activity. The other three seasons usually see anglers fishing for bream. Lake Oliver also serves as the municipal water supply for Columbus.
The location of Oliver Dam is approximately at the Fall Line
of the Chattahoochee River. Between Oliver Dam and the downtown Columbus, a few miles downstream, the river drops nearly 100 feet (30.5 m) in elevation.
Lake Oliver is the northernmost point of the Chattahoochee Riverwalk
a fifteen mile long bicycle pathway that extends southward to Fort Benning
.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
on the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
, which lies south of Goat Rock Dam (Goat Rock Lake
Goat Rock Lake
Goat Rock Lake is a reservoir on the Chattahoochee River, which lies directly south of Bartlett's Ferry Dam and north of Lake Oliver. The lake is created by the Goat Rock Dam and Generating Plant. The name of the dam and lake date to the construction of the dam in 1912...
). The lake is created by the Oliver Dam and Generating Plant, which was completed in 1959 by Georgia Power
Georgia Power
Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company....
. The lake was named for James McCoy Oliver, an executive of Georgia Power at the time. Oliver Dam has four turbine units, and the dam itself is 70 feet tall and 2150 feet (655.3 m) long. At the southern end of the reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
, Lake Oliver is relatively wide but quickly narrows and becomes almost riverine at the northern end of the lake at the foot of Goat Rock Dam.
Public access to the lake is limited to one marina owned by the City of Columbus. Since Lake Oliver is entirely within the city limits of Columbus, Georgia
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...
, the shore is densely settled on both the Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
sides. Green Island Hills
Green Island Hills
Green Island Hills is an upscale residential neighborhood within the city of Columbus, Georgia, United States.Homes in Green Island Hills range from Georgian, Tudor and Spanish Revival to Craftsman, with new modern homes popping up every month...
, an upscale development, is located on the lake at the mouth of Standing Boy Creek. Given the amount of settlement, there are many private access points to the lake.
In the summer, the lake is very crowded with recreational activity. The other three seasons usually see anglers fishing for bream. Lake Oliver also serves as the municipal water supply for Columbus.
The location of Oliver Dam is approximately at the Fall Line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
of the Chattahoochee River. Between Oliver Dam and the downtown Columbus, a few miles downstream, the river drops nearly 100 feet (30.5 m) in elevation.
Lake Oliver is the northernmost point of the Chattahoochee Riverwalk
Chattahoochee RiverWalk
The Chattahoochee RiverWalk is a 22 mile walking and biking area along the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia, United States. The entire trail is paved with either asphalt, concrete, or brick...
a fifteen mile long bicycle pathway that extends southward to Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
.