The Jim Woodruff Dam

When Florida was first becoming known as a recreational playground, it was for its natural resources, especially water based. The pristine rivers were, and still are, especially popular with fishing and boating enthusiasts.

Unlike many western states which are dependent on massive dams to provide water, hydroelectric energy and flood control, Florida’s waterways have a reputation with the general population of free and unrestricted flows which have remained untamed since the dawn of time. 

Reality is somewhat different. There are about a dozen dams in the state, but they are far smaller and less intrusive than the structures in the far west.

One of these, the Jim Woodruff Dam, is located slightly north of U.S. Highway 90 where Jackson and Gadsden Counties meet. Its position is about a 1/5^th mile south of the Apalachicola River’s origin. The Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers serve as tributaries, combining with the Woodruff Dam to form Lake Seminole as it is known today.

The Chattahoochee River is part of the state line delineation between Georgia and Alabama. It also has several manmade reservoirs in its path, including Lake Lanier, which serves as a water source for Atlanta.

The Flint River is far less restricted than the Chattahoochee.  It starts slightly south of the city, in Atlanta’s Fulton County, and is one of the few rivers in the country with 200 miles of unaltered flow.

In recent years, the demand for water from the Atlanta metroplex has severely reduced the flow of water downstream by the Chattahoochee.  The shortage of fresh water has negatively affected the marine environment where the Apalachicola River empties into the bay at the town of Apalachicola.

Work started on this dam in 1947 under the Truman Administration’s post-war plan for development of rural areas. It was completed ten years later and is operated by the U.S. Army’s Corp of Engineers.

The finished project was named after James W. Woodruff, Senior, who took a leading role in what became known initially as the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Project.  In addition to hydroelectric power generated at the dam, Lake Seminole now covers almost 60 square miles and is a popular fishing and boating site.

The Jim Woodruff Dam is easily viewed from the bridge which crosses the Apalachicola River, and there are several viewing points on the Jackson County side for those who want a closer look.