History

Near the center of the state, Lake Sinclair has provided both electricity and recreation since 1953. The 15,330-acre body of water has 417 miles of scenic shoreline with charming coves and inlets as well as long stretches of open water. The Sinclair Dam Hydroelectric Plant is located at Furman Shoals on the Oconee River about four miles north of Milledgeville.

Georgia Power began building the plant, originally known as "Furman Shoals", in 1929. Its construction, however, was suspended in 1930 as a result of the Depression's prolonged, negative impact on both electricity consumption and Company earnings.

Georgia Power resumed work on the plant on November, 1949, and its name was subsequently changed to Sinclair Dam in honor of the late B. W. Sinclair, the Company's superintendent of power plant construction and operation during the facility's completion. In 1953, the Sinclair Dam Hydroelectric Plant was placed in operation with two 22,500-kilowatt generating units and a total electrical output of 45,000 kilowatts. When originally authorized in 1929, estimated construction costs amounted to about $6.5 million. The final cost to build the plant exceeded twice that.

Sinclair Dam was dedicated on July 28, 1954 - the eve of Mr. Sinclair's retirement. The ceremony was attended by several hundred Georgians, including former Senator Herman Talmadge, who was the principal speaker at the dedication.

The development includes a gravity-concrete dam that measures 104 feet high and 2,988 feet long. It impounds Lake Sinclair which is not only the source of water for generating electricity at Sinclair Dam, but for the pumped storage operations at Wallace Dam as well. With 15,330 acres of water surface and 417 miles of shoreline, Lake Sinclair also provides Georgians an ideal spot for outdoor recreational activities.

The brick powerhouse structure, located on the river's west bank, is 99 percent automatic and can be managed by remote control from the Wallace Dam plant several miles upstream.