Jim Woodruff Dam

Jim Woodruff Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Apalachicola River, about south of that river's origin at the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers.
The dam impounds Lake Seminole on the common border of Florida and Georgia. The dam is named in honor of James W. Woodruff, Sr., a Georgia businessman who spearheaded the development of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Project.
Electricity from the dam is marketed by the Southeastern Power Administration.

Project authorization and history

The Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam project was authorized by the U.S. Congress in the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1946. It is a key component of the larger Apalachicola Chattahoochee Flint Project, which was designed to expand the river system for navigation, hydropower, and other uses.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 1, 1947, to mark the official start of construction by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The project was completed and the dam began full operation in 1957. The dam is named for James W. Woodruff, Sr, a businessman from Georgia who was a major component for the development of the ACF river system.

The Jim Woodruff Dam is a multipurpose project. Its primary authorized purposes include:
Navigation: The lock allows commercial and recreational vessels to bypass the dam, creating a navigable waterway as part of the ACF system.
Hydroelectric Power: The dam's power plant generates electricity for the region.
Recreation: The creation of Lake Seminole established a major area for boating, fishing, and other water activities, managed in part by the Corps of Engineers and state parks.
Wildlife: The project is operated to support fish and wildlife conservation.
Water Quality: The project also has a mandate for maintaining water quality.
Notably, the project is not authorized for flood control storage.
The dam's construction and the subsequent filling of Lake Seminole inundated several historical and prehistoric sites, including the U.S. Army's 19th-century Fort Scott.
On October 10, 2018, the dam and its facilities were directly impacted by Hurricane Michael. While the main dam structure survived, the powerhouse roof sustained significant damage, and downed transmission lines temporarily halted power generation.