Georgia Power has scheduled a drawdown of Lake Sinclair for October 20 through November 24. During that time Lake Sinclair will be drawn down some 4 feet and the lake could be down as much as 5 1/2 feet during the Wallace Dam pumpback operation. According to Georgia Power, the lake will begin refilling on November 19.

The announced drawdown schedule will allow landowners about one month to complete shoreline renovation/improvement projects and other activities. Remember if you are planning to do any improvements during the drawdown to your seawall, dock or boathouse, you will need a permit from Georgia Power before work can begin. To obtain a permit for any planned improvements or other work call the Georgia Power Land Management office at (706) 485-8704.

One primary consideration that should be taken into account is whether to remove your boat during the drawdown. Many boathouses and docks will not have sufficient water to allow you to launch your boat during the drawdown so if you are planning to use your boat during the drawdown, you might want to consider removing your boat while there is still sufficient water to do so. It might be a good time to remove your boat and do those needed boat repairs and thorough cleaning that you have been putting off.

One project that you might consider is installing rip-rap in front of your seawall. Rip-rap located in front of your seawall will serve several purposes. It will keep the soil from washing out underneath your seawall by reducing wave action. Constant wave action erodes the soil beneath your seawall, which in turn causes the soil to sink behind the seawall in your yard. I have constantly had to backfill soil behind my seawall due to erosion from wave action that removes the soil underneath my seawall.

Rip-rap also acts to promote aquatic life in the lake. Tiny insects and other organisms are attracted to the rocks which in turn attract crawfish and minnows which in turn attract bluegill and largemouth bass.

The rocks also provide hiding places for the young fish of many species. The idea that rip-rap might attract snakes has some merit but the vast majority of snakes in Lake Sinclair are non-venomous. The benefits of rip-rap far outways any negative aspects that rip-rap might have for landowners and the lake in general.

Lake Sinclair has a serious muskrat problem so you might consider installing wire mesh onto the bottom of your seawall before placing the rip-rap. The wire mesh will discourage the muskrat from chewing through your seawall. When the lake was last lowered in 2005, I discovered a muskrat had borrowed through my seawall and at least twenty feet into my lawn.

Most erosion underneath seawalls is caused by wave action from boat traffic. I live in a protected cove and can only imagine the erosion that occurs around seawalls on the main lake. My seawall does get hammered even in a protected cove. Much of the erosion on my seawall is caused by boat owners who reside in my cove or by boat owners who visit landowners in my cove. The 100-foot law has obviously fallen on the deaf ears of boat operators. The law requiring boats to operate at idle speed when boats are within 100-foot of a shoreline, dock or boathouse should be enforced PERIOD.  

The water level drop of from 4 to 5 1/2 feet will require that boat operators using the lake during this period be extremely careful as some underwater hazards will either be exposed or just under the surface of the lake. Vast areas of the lake bottom will be exposed during the drawdown and can provide a great opportunity for anglers to view shoreline areas that fish will utilize when the lake is again filled.

Lake drawdowns are generally considered beneficial to any lake’s overall general health and many lakes experience improved angling after drawdowns occur. The drawdowns that occur during the fall will not allow much in the way of any aquatic growth on newly exposed land but will allow normal shallow areas of sediment and muck to dry up.

Once the lake is refilled this should create improved areas for fish nesting and bedding in the spring and give the lake some nutrient boost. Please do not remove shoreline and shallow water grass during the drawdown. These shoreline grasses are very beneficial to the lake’s fishery and their removal requires approval from Georgia Power.

Many boat ramps at several of the lake’s marinas will be unusable during the drawdown so you will need to check with the marinas before attempting a launch. The public ramps at Dennis Station access will remain useable even when the lake reaches the maximum drawdown level.

Georgia Power has announced the date of Wednesday, October 6 for the annual Lake Sinclair cleanup and registration will begin that morning at 7:30 at Plant Branch. Participants will receive a t-shirt, a free lunch and other prizes. See you next week.