Located at the southern end of Seminole County where the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers converge into the Apalachicola River is Lake Seminole.
The Lake Seminole reservoir, originally authorized as the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam project by the River and Harbor Act of 1946, was the first of three locks and dams constructed for navigation, hydropower, recreation, and other related purposes on the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, and Flint River system. Construction on this multi-purpose project began in 1947, and was completed in 1957. It has been said that enough concrete was used in building the dam to build a 3-foot sidewalk from Chattahoochee, Florida, to Los Angeles, California, and back.
In March 2007, the 50th anniversary of the Jim Woodruff Dam was celebrated with a grand ceremony. The ceremony also involved the official name change for the Jim Woodruff Project/Lake Seminole, which is now known as the Woodruff Seminole Site.
The Dam and Lake Seminole are governed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
Created by the construction of the Woodruff Seminole Site, this 37,500 acre lake offers a host of recreational and sporting opportunities to the millions of people who visit each year. Although the lake was built to provide navigation and hydroelectric power, the emphasis is on family fun. Camping and fishing are the most popular activities at the lake, but many folks come just to spend the day swimming, picnicking, sunning or playing ball along the shore. Other activities enjoyed are bird watching, hiking, water skiing, and canoeing.