Lake Blue Ridge cabins: docks, the winter drawdown and what is for sale

The lake in numbers

• Lake Blue Ridge covers 3,290 acres (U.S. Forest Service) and stretches about 11 miles southeast from the dam (Tennessee Valley Authority).
• It has more than 60 miles of shoreline, and about 80% of it belongs to the Chattahoochee National Forest (Recreation.gov).
• Blue Ridge Dam was begun in 1925 and finished in 1930 (Tennessee Valley Authority). It is 175 feet high and 1,553 feet across the Toccoa (Tennessee Valley Authority).
• The reservoir holds 68,500 acre-feet of flood storage (Tennessee Valley Authority), which is why its level changes so much through the year.

Why lakefront lots are scarce

Because four-fifths of the shoreline is national forest, most of what you see from the water stays wooded, and only a minority of the shore can carry private docks. That is good for the view and hard on supply. When a listing says “lake access”, ask exactly what it means: a deeded lot on the water, a community dock, a path across TVA land, or a drive to the public launch.

The winter drawdown

In a normal year the lake rises and falls about 22 feet between summer and winter (Tennessee Valley Authority). A dock that floats in deep water in July can sit on mud in February, and a cove that looks like open water in summer can be a creek in winter. See the cabin in both seasons, or ask the seller for winter photos of the dock.

Docks: TVA decides

Lake Blue Ridge is a TVA reservoir, so docks, piers, boathouses, buoys and similar structures need TVA approval under Section 26a of the TVA Act (TVA rules, 18 CFR 1304). The rules that matter most to a buyer:

• Size. A residential dock, pier and boathouse together are generally limited to 1,000 square feet, or up to 1,800 in areas of earlier development (TVA rules, 18 CFR 1304).
• No living space. TVA does not allow living or sleeping areas on docks or boathouses (TVA rules, 18 CFR 1304).
• One walkway. A dock attaches to shore with a single walkway, no more than six feet wide over water (TVA rules, 18 CFR 1304).
• Older docks. Docks permitted under earlier rules can generally be maintained under their previous permit terms (TVA rules, 18 CFR 1304).
• After you buy. The new owner must notify TVA within 60 days (TVA rules, 18 CFR 1304). Applications go through TVA’s online system, 1-800-882-5263 (TVA rules, 18 CFR 1304).

The 50-foot shoreline zone

Where the land between a lot and the water is TVA residential access shoreland, TVA sets a 50-foot shoreline management zone in which trees and plants may not be cut without its approval, apart from an access corridor up to 20 feet wide (TVA rules, 18 CFR 1304). If you picture clearing for a view, ask first.

Public access

Morganton Point Recreation Area is the only developed campground on the lake and is open all year (U.S. Forest Service). It charges $5 a day per person 16 and older, plus $5 to launch a boat trailer (U.S. Forest Service). TVA keeps an overlook above the dam and a picnic area by the powerhouse (Tennessee Valley Authority).

TVA reservoir

Lake Blue Ridge

A 3,290-acre TVA lake with more than 60 miles of shoreline, most of it national forest.

• Lake
• Near town
• Trails
• Quiet
• Atlanta side

• Lake Blue Ridge is a 3,290-acre TVA reservoir with more than 60 miles of shoreline.
• About 80% of the shoreline belongs to the national forest, so much of what you look across stays wooded.
• TVA describes the lake as lying inside the Chattahoochee National Forest.
• The lake starts at Blue Ridge Dam and runs about 11 miles southeast from it.

Check first: Ask for the dock’s TVA Section 26a permit, and whether the shoreline in front of the lot is TVA land.

Lake Blue Ridge cabins

Lake questions