Lake Winfield Scott
Encyclopedia
Lake Winfield Scott is an 18 acres (7.3 ha) mountain pond located 10 miles (16.1 km) south of Blairsville
, Georgia
in Union County. The lake, which is owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service, is the source of Cooper Creek. It is the centerpiece of the Forest Service's Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area, a park which features hiking, fishing, boating and other outdoor activities. At 2854 feet (869.9 m) elevation it is one of Georgia's highest altitude lakes. The various habitats surrounding the lake support a wide assortment of plants and animals.
efforts to establish recreational areas in north Georgia. It was the final CCC project in Georgia and one of the last in the nation, completed just after the United States' entry into World War II
. It is located in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains
near Blood Mountain
.
The lake was named after General
Winfield Scott
, a 19th century United States Army
general, diplomat
, and presidential candidate. Known as "Old Fuss and Feathers" and the "Grand Old Man of the Army", Scott was a hero of the Mexican-American War and the first American since George Washington
to hold the rank of lieutenant general
.
By the late 17th century the Cherokee and Creek had begun to compete for the same resources and fought a battle at nearby Slaughter Gap. The Creek lost, ceding the Blood Mountain area to the Cherokee, who considered it a holy place. Archaeological evidence has been discovered that tends to back the story of the battle, but the date of the battle and its participants are still disputed.
In 1838, the American Indians were removed from the area by General Winfield Scott and forced westward along the "Trail of Tears."
Farmers moved in later, and by the 1880s lumber companies began logging the area. On May 14, 1938, the lake was first opened to the public as part of the Forest Service's multiple-use plan for administering the Chatahoochee National Forest for the "greatest good for the greatest number of people." During the 1990s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rebuilt and strengthened the lake's dam.
. Two roads provide access to the park, although the north entrance is only for lake access. The south entrance leads to the campgrounds, hiking trails and lakeshore facilities. The hardwood forests surrounding the lake and in Sosebee Gap offer brilliant autumn displays, making it a popular destination during the leaf season.
nearly 1.5 billion years ago. The resulting landscape created diverse topology containing many different species of plants and animal. Much of the area is similar to Pennsylvania in climate, vegetation and wildlife. The lake is near the southern limit for Eastern hemlock
and Eastern white pine
. Coves in the area vary by elevation and topography, with second-growth oak and hickory more common in lower-lying areas. Forests surrounding the lake contain rich, high-altitude flora including rare wildflowers and fern
s, such as Painted Trillium, which grows near Rhododrendron. Boulderfields near Sosebee Cove
include Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn, waterleaf
and other herbacious plants.
The lake area is populated with white tail deer, grouse and raccoon. The deer population, which was extirpated by 1895, has rebounded since re-introduction by park ranger Arthur Woody
during the 1930s. Over 100 species of birds inhabit or migrate through the area, including native songbirds such as the Canada, Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green and Chestnut-sided warbler
s. Also found are hawk
s, owl
s, woodpecker
s, kinglet
s, thrushes, vireo
s, cuckoo
s, phoebe
s, chickadee
s, titmice, nuthatches, brown creeper
s, wrens, tanager
s, grosbeak
s, indigo bunting
s and red crossbills. Migratory species are present during the late spring and early fall, making the area popular among birdwatchers. The creeks surrounding the lake are rich with different species of salamanders.
and also contains local species of warmwater fish such as largemouth bass
and sunfish
. Also on the lake are a boat ramp, boat dock and swimming area with a sand beach. The Forest Service allows only man-powered and electric-powered watercraft on the lake.
The recreational area has camping loops offer 36 campsites, including 21 which can accommodate tents and RVs; these sites provide utility hook-ups. There is also a group camping area which accommodates up to 25 people. The area houses comfort stations with flush toilets and showers. There is also one cabin available for rental. The recreational area includes a children's playground and picnic sites. The campground is open spring through fall and is administered by the USFS's Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest/Blue Ridge Ranger District.
There are three trails at the lake. The 0.4 miles (643.7 m) Lake Winfield Scott Trail circles around the lake shore. This easy trail has portions which are wheelchair accessible. Jarrad Gap Trail and Slaughter Gap Trail share a common trailhead, located on the lake's southern tip. Both are approach trails to the nearby Appalachian Trail
and are marked with blue blazes.
Slaughter Creek Trail passes through a hardwood forest on the south bank of Slaughter Creek for most of its distance, following a series of old roadbeds. It climbs 1000 feet (304.8 m) over its 2.7 miles (4.3 km) path to Slaughter Gap (elevation 3,920 feet), where it intersects the Appalachian Trail at the base of Blood Mountain. The trail passes through thickets of mountain laurel and rosebay rhododendron
along the way, and crosses the creek at one point. Also present are excellent spring wildflower habitats. The summit of Blood Mountain is 1.4 miles (2.3 km) from Slaughter Gap along the Appalachian Trail.
Jarrard Creek Trail is an easy to moderate hike which leads southward 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to Jarrard Gap (elevation 3,300 feet) on the Appalachian Trail. It follows Lances Branch creek through second-growth hardwood forests. Jarrard Creek Trail can be combined with Slaughter Creek Trail and a 2.1-mile section of the Appalachian Trail to form a six-mile loop hike that starts and ends at the lake.
Blairsville, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 659 people, 226 households, and 101 families residing in the city. The population density was 619.7 people per square mile . There were 261 housing units at an average density of 245.4 per square mile...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in Union County. The lake, which is owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service, is the source of Cooper Creek. It is the centerpiece of the Forest Service's Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area, a park which features hiking, fishing, boating and other outdoor activities. At 2854 feet (869.9 m) elevation it is one of Georgia's highest altitude lakes. The various habitats surrounding the lake support a wide assortment of plants and animals.
History
Completed in early 1942, Lake Winfield Scott is a man-made reservoir created as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps'Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
efforts to establish recreational areas in north Georgia. It was the final CCC project in Georgia and one of the last in the nation, completed just after the United States' entry into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It is located in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
near Blood Mountain
Blood Mountain
Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail and the sixth-tallest mountain in Georgia, with an elevation of . It is located on the border of Lumpkin County with Union County and is within the boundaries of the Chattahoochee National Forest and the Blood...
.
The lake was named after General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was a United States Army general, and unsuccessful presidential candidate of the Whig Party in 1852....
, a 19th century United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
general, diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, and presidential candidate. Known as "Old Fuss and Feathers" and the "Grand Old Man of the Army", Scott was a hero of the Mexican-American War and the first American since George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
to hold the rank of lieutenant general
Lieutenant General (United States)
In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
.
By the late 17th century the Cherokee and Creek had begun to compete for the same resources and fought a battle at nearby Slaughter Gap. The Creek lost, ceding the Blood Mountain area to the Cherokee, who considered it a holy place. Archaeological evidence has been discovered that tends to back the story of the battle, but the date of the battle and its participants are still disputed.
In 1838, the American Indians were removed from the area by General Winfield Scott and forced westward along the "Trail of Tears."
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
Farmers moved in later, and by the 1880s lumber companies began logging the area. On May 14, 1938, the lake was first opened to the public as part of the Forest Service's multiple-use plan for administering the Chatahoochee National Forest for the "greatest good for the greatest number of people." During the 1990s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rebuilt and strengthened the lake's dam.
Location and surroundings
Lake Winfield Scott is 4.5 miles east of Suches on Highway 180 and 7.1 miles west of U.S. Highway 19/129 near Vogel State ParkVogel State Park
Vogel State Park is a or 94 hectares state park located at the base of Blood Mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest. It became one of the first two parks in Georgia when it founded a state park system in 1931. Much of the park was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the...
. Two roads provide access to the park, although the north entrance is only for lake access. The south entrance leads to the campgrounds, hiking trails and lakeshore facilities. The hardwood forests surrounding the lake and in Sosebee Gap offer brilliant autumn displays, making it a popular destination during the leaf season.
Wildlife and flora
Like the rest of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, the area surrounding the lake consists of many valleys, ridges and mountains formed by repeated plate tectonic movement and collisions, starting with the Grenville OrogenyGrenville orogeny
The Grenville Orogeny was a long-lived Mesoproterozoic mountain-building event associated with the assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia. Its record is a prominent orogenic belt which spans a significant portion of the North American continent, from Labrador to Mexico, as well as to Scotland...
nearly 1.5 billion years ago. The resulting landscape created diverse topology containing many different species of plants and animal. Much of the area is similar to Pennsylvania in climate, vegetation and wildlife. The lake is near the southern limit for Eastern hemlock
Eastern Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
and Eastern white pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
. Coves in the area vary by elevation and topography, with second-growth oak and hickory more common in lower-lying areas. Forests surrounding the lake contain rich, high-altitude flora including rare wildflowers and fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, such as Painted Trillium, which grows near Rhododrendron. Boulderfields near Sosebee Cove
Sosebee Cove
Sosebee Cove is a high-elevation, north-facing, cove forest found in the Chattahoochee National Forest. The trail through the cove is dedicated to Arthur Woody, who negotiated the Cove's purchase for the United States Forest Service...
include Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn, waterleaf
Waterleaf
In botany, waterleaf can mean:* Any plant of the genus Hydrophyllum* Any plant which is a member of the waterleaf family, Hydrophyllaceae* Talinum fruticosum, a leaf vegetable of the family Portulacaceae...
and other herbacious plants.
The lake area is populated with white tail deer, grouse and raccoon. The deer population, which was extirpated by 1895, has rebounded since re-introduction by park ranger Arthur Woody
Arthur Woody
Arthur Woody was born in Suches, Georgia. Arthur Woody, who saw his father kill the last deer in the North Georgia mountains in 1895, is credited with bringing deer back to the North Georgia mountains...
during the 1930s. Over 100 species of birds inhabit or migrate through the area, including native songbirds such as the Canada, Blackburnian, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green and Chestnut-sided warbler
Warbler
There are a number of Passeriformes called "warblers". They are not particularly closely related, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal and insectivorous....
s. Also found are hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, woodpecker
Woodpecker
Woodpeckers are near passerine birds of the order Piciformes. They are one subfamily in the family Picidae, which also includes the piculets and wrynecks. They are found worldwide and include about 180 species....
s, kinglet
Kinglet
The kinglets or crests are a small group of birds sometimes included in the Old World warblers, but are frequently given family status because they also resemble the titmice. The scientific name Regulidae is derived from the Latin word regulus for "petty king" or prince, and comes from the...
s, thrushes, vireo
Vireo
The vireos are a group of small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to the New World. They are typically dull-plumaged and greenish in color, the smaller species resembling wood warblers apart from their heavier bills...
s, cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
s, phoebe
Phoebe (bird)
The genus Sayornis is a small group of medium-sized insect-eating birds in the Tyrant flycatcher family Tyrranidae native to North and South America....
s, chickadee
Chickadee
Chickadee is a group of birds in the Paridae familyChickadee may also refer to:* USS Chickadee , a minesweeper in the United States Navy* Chickadee , a Canadian children's magazine-See also:* Black-capped Chickadee...
s, titmice, nuthatches, brown creeper
Brown Creeper
-Description:Adults are brown on the upperparts with light spotting, resembling a piece of tree bark, with white underparts. They have a long thin bill with a slight downward curve and a long tail. The male creeper has a slightly larger bill than the female...
s, wrens, tanager
Tanager
The tanagers comprise the bird family Thraupidae, in the order Passeriformes. The family has an American distribution.There were traditionally about 240 species of tanagers, but the taxonomic treatment of this family's members is currently in a state of flux...
s, grosbeak
Grosbeak
Grosbeak is a form taxon containing several species of seed-eating passerine birds with large beaks. Although they all belong to the superfamily Passeroidea, they are not a natural group but rather a polyphyletic assemblage of distantly related songbirds....
s, indigo bunting
Indigo Bunting
The Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea, is a small seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter. It often migrates by night, using the...
s and red crossbills. Migratory species are present during the late spring and early fall, making the area popular among birdwatchers. The creeks surrounding the lake are rich with different species of salamanders.
Recreation
The recreational area encompassing the lake includes camping, picnicking, boating, fishing and a variety of hiking trails. Motorcyclists refer to the area as the starting point of "The Georgia Triangle", a scenic riding circuit beginning on Highway 180.Fishing, boating and swimming
The small lake is a local favorite for fishing. Lake Winfield Scott is stocked with rainbow troutRainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
and also contains local species of warmwater fish such as largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
and sunfish
Centrarchidae
The sunfishes are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus . The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies...
. Also on the lake are a boat ramp, boat dock and swimming area with a sand beach. The Forest Service allows only man-powered and electric-powered watercraft on the lake.
Camping and hiking trails
There are three trails at the lake. The 0.4 miles (643.7 m) Lake Winfield Scott Trail circles around the lake shore. This easy trail has portions which are wheelchair accessible. Jarrad Gap Trail and Slaughter Gap Trail share a common trailhead, located on the lake's southern tip. Both are approach trails to the nearby Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
and are marked with blue blazes.
Slaughter Creek Trail passes through a hardwood forest on the south bank of Slaughter Creek for most of its distance, following a series of old roadbeds. It climbs 1000 feet (304.8 m) over its 2.7 miles (4.3 km) path to Slaughter Gap (elevation 3,920 feet), where it intersects the Appalachian Trail at the base of Blood Mountain. The trail passes through thickets of mountain laurel and rosebay rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
along the way, and crosses the creek at one point. Also present are excellent spring wildflower habitats. The summit of Blood Mountain is 1.4 miles (2.3 km) from Slaughter Gap along the Appalachian Trail.
Jarrard Creek Trail is an easy to moderate hike which leads southward 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to Jarrard Gap (elevation 3,300 feet) on the Appalachian Trail. It follows Lances Branch creek through second-growth hardwood forests. Jarrard Creek Trail can be combined with Slaughter Creek Trail and a 2.1-mile section of the Appalachian Trail to form a six-mile loop hike that starts and ends at the lake.
External links
- Lake Winfield Scott, Campground and Recreational Area, USDA Forest Service website.