Dear Editor,
As the summer season is upon us on Lake Oconee, have you ever wondered why boathouses are not allowed on this Georgia Power lake?
All the other Georgia Power lakes allow boathouses, but not Lake Oconee. Granted, there are about 10 boathouses currently on Lake Oconee, but these were only permitted if you were an original landowner or one of their heirs. Why has this policy been implemented when boathouses are allowed on the sister lake to Oconee, Lake Sinclair?
My family has owned our property on this lake since 1978, before Wallace Dam was finished. The dam was completed in 1979, and the lake began to take shape. When I called the local Georgia Power land management specialist in Greene County to discuss this policy, she would only state that this is the policy.
The best explanation I could find for this is that some of the coves on Lake Oconee are small, and boathouses would obstruct views. However, this argument doesn’t hold water, as I’ve been on Lakes Burton, Sinclair, and Jackson, which are all owned by Georgia Power.
Burton and Jackson are considerably smaller than Oconee, but boathouses are allowed on both.
Interestingly, Georgia Power does allow you to have a metal boat lift with a canopy top on Lake Oconee. The tops can be black, green, baby blue, or brown. Are we to believe that these structures don’t obstruct views, but a boathouse would? My family has one of these structures on our dock but would like the option of a boathouse to be put in its place.
Perhaps there are other lake residents out there who feel the same way. Why should homeowners on Lake Oconee not be given the option like other Georgia Power lakes?
Regards, Derek Hinkle