West Point Lake

West Point Lake
  • West Point Dam and Lake
  • Lake West Point
  • West Point (without the lake designator)
View overlooking the West Point Dam. A large body of water is seen stretching wide and tall.
Northerly view, south of the dam
Location of West Point Lake showing southwest of Atlanta, Georgia
Location of West Point Lake showing southwest of Atlanta, Georgia
West Point Lake
Pinpoint of the West Point Dam
Location of West Point Lake showing southwest of Atlanta, Georgia
Location of West Point Lake showing southwest of Atlanta, Georgia
West Point Lake
West Point Lake (the United States)
LocationTroup County, and Heard County, Georgia, and Chambers County, and Randolph County, Alabama
Coordinates32°56′25″N 85°11′27″W / 32.9403°N 85.1908°W / 32.9403; -85.1908[1]
TypeReservoir
EtymologyThe near city of West Point, Georgia
Part ofACF River Basin
Primary inflowsChattahoochee River
Primary outflowsChattahoochee River
Catchment area3,440 sq mi (8,900 km2)[2]
Basin countriesUnited States
Managing agencyU.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
BuiltDecember 1965[3]: 2 
First floodedMay 25, 1975[3]: 2 
Max. length34 mi (55 km) [4]: 2-4 
Max. width3 mi (4.8 km)
Surface area25,864 acres (10,467 ha)[2]
Average depth23 ft (7.0 m)[5]: 4 
Max. depth85 ft (26 m)[5]: 4 
Water volume604,527 acre⋅ft (745,673,000 m3)[2]
at 635 ft (194 m)
Residence timeApprox. 55 days[6]: 3 
Shore length1604 mi (972 km)[2]
Surface elevationSummer: 635 ft (194 m)[2]
Winter: 628 ft (191 m)[2]
FrozenNever
Settlementsnear West Point, Georgia
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

West Point Lake is a man-made reservoir located mostly in west-central Georgia on the Chattahoochee River and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The Chattahoochee river flows in from the north, before flowing through the West Point Dam, which impounds the lake, and continuing to Columbus, Georgia. Of the four major USACE lakes in the ACF River Basin, West Point Lake is the smallest by area containing 25,864 acres (10,467 ha) of water, and has the second shortest shoreline at 604 mi (972 km).[7] The purposes of the reservoir are to provide flood control, hydroelectric power, and water storage to aid the navigation of the lower Chattahoochee.

  1. ^ "West Point Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved Jan 16, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference WCM17A was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference WPLStudy94A was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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