Lake Wedowee, or R. L. Harris Reservoir, is a reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

, located in Randolph County

Randolph County, Alabama

Randolph County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of John Randolph, a member of the United States Senate from Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 22,913. Its county seat is Wedowee...

, Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

 on the upper part of the Tallapoosa River

Tallapoosa River

The Tallapoosa River runs from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia, in the United States, southward and westward into Alabama. It is formed by the confluence of McClendon Creek and Mud Creek in Paulding County, Georgia. Lake Martin at Alexander City, Alabama is a large and...

. The lake is 10,660 acres. This lake was built at one of the last hydro sites in Alabama.

Construction

The lake was created by the flooding of the plains behind the Harris Dam, which began construction on November 1, 1974. The last part of construction of the dam ended on April 20, 1983.. There are two generating units that produce up to 67 megawatts of power for each unit.

Recreation

There are many recreational attractions on Lake Wedowee such as: boating, swimming, fishing and camping. Fishing brings the most attraction to the lake. It is known to be one of the finest lakes in the Southeast because the quality of the water and its sizeable bass population. There are many different species of fish in the lake that include crappie, largemouth bass, spotted bass, striped bass, hybrid striper, channel catfish, and flathead catfish.

Community

The town of Wedowee

Wedowee, Alabama

Wedowee is a town in Randolph County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 818. The city is the county seat of Randolph County.-History:...

 is relatively small with an estimated population of 800 people. Wedowee is also the county seat of Randolph County

Randolph County, Alabama

Randolph County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.Its name is in honor of John Randolph, a member of the United States Senate from Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 22,913. Its county seat is Wedowee...

. U.S. Highway 431 intersects the town as well as Alabama Highway 48. The community has grown over the years as the lake continues to develop.