Lake Nottely, located entirely in Blairsville Georgia, is actually a reservoir created by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1942, when they built Nottely Dam across the Nottely River. Originally, the dam and lake were created to supply power to the area and for flood control, however today, most people view the lake as a beautiful outdoor play area.

The crystal clear waters of Lake Blue Ridge, combined with the majority of the lake being in the Chattahoochee National Forest, and therefore uninhabitable, creates one of the most picturesque mountain lakes in the country.

Lake Chatuge is actually a man-made reservoir stretching across Hiawassee Georgia into Hayesville North Carolina. Construction of Chatuge Dam was completed in 1942, then the 7,500 acre reservoir was filled with water, with the help of the Hiawassee River, and beautiful Lake Chatuge was born.