Lake Sinclair - Tributaries

Tributaries

Lake Sinclair is fed by several creeks and rivers, including Beaver Dam, Crooked, Rooty, Sandy Run, Shoulder Bone, Potato, Island, Rocky, Nancy Branch, Reedy Branch, and Little River. The lake covers over 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) and has more than 400 miles (600 km) of shoreline with a maximum depth of 90 feet.

In 1979 Lake Oconee was created with the completion of Wallace Dam, which is a pumped-storage reservoir for Lake Sinclair. What this means is that the water is pumped from Lake Sinclair into Lake Oconee, its dam-sharing lake. It is then released through Wallace Dam back into Lake Sinclair - thus generating electricity. It's quite fascinating to newcomers and you can tell which stage of the operation the process is in by watching the current on Lake Sinclair. Either stop your watercraft and watch the shoreline, or if you are on shore, fix your eye on a watercraft or object in the lake. It will move in either direction depending on the stage of pumping/dam operation. The net effect of the power generation process is an approximate 2-foot (0.61 m) drop or rise in Lake Sinclair's water level. This drop or rise is minimal and only affects boaters located in very shallow water. Lake Sinclair offers year-round, consistent water levels.