Locking Through
I have lots of memories about the natural environment along the Flint River from walking over the Fall Line at Yellow Jacket Shoals during one of the worst droughts in Georgia history to being tricked into jumping into the icy springs of the river below Albany. But one of my most vivid Flint memories is of a distinctly unnatural environment.
Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam on Lake Seminole. Looking from this view, the lock is on the left. Boats locking through go from Lake Seminole, above, down to the Apalachicola River. For instructions on how to “lock through,” click here. To read more about Jim Woodruff Dam and see a map showing its location in the Apalachicola – Chattahoochee – Flint system, click here.
While writing the Flint River Guidebook, Sherri and I “locked through” the Jim Woodruff Dam that separates Lake Seminole (formed by the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers) from the Apalachicola River downstream on the Florida side of the dam. And did it several times, eventually getting pretty competent at the process, although that first time was a little nerve wracking.
The outdated idea of navigating up and down Georgia’s rivers is such a part of Georgia river history that every person who aspires to understand that history and participate in the whole range of river experiences owes it to themselves to “lock through” at least once. You’ll find locks at the Jim Woodruff Dam on Seminole, the George W. Andrews Dam on Lake Andrews, and the Walter F. George Dam on Eufaula. A guide to locking through is available here on the website, along with a personal account of the experience. Give it a try. Just don’t forget your cell phone like this first-timer did!