Lake Wylie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the town of Lake Wylie, SC, see Lake Wylie, South Carolina
| Lake Wylie | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | South Carolina and North Carolina |
| Coordinates | |
| Lake type | artificial reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Catawba River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 21 sq mi (54 km²) |
| Shore length1 | 325 mi (523 km) |
| Settlements | Charlotte, North Carolina Lake Wylie, South Carolina Steele Creek, North Carolina Tega Cay, South Carolina India Hook, South Carolina |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Wylie is an artificial reservoir lake located in South Carolina and North Carolina. The lake has a surface area of 13,400 acres (54 km²)[1] (21sq mi) and features 325 miles (523 km)[2] of shore line.
Contents |
[edit] History
The man-made lake was first formed when the Catawba Power Company built the Catawba Dam and Power Plant near at India Hook, South Carolina in 1904.[3] This dam impounded the Catawba River and created Lake Catawba, which was utilized to create hydro-electric power. In 1905 the Catawba Power Company became part of the Southern Power Company.[1]
In 1924 the Southern Power Company raised the level of the dam and a built a new Catawba Hydroelectric Station to replace the original. This new facility opened in August of 1925, increasing the surface area of Lake Catawba from 668 acres (2.7 km²) to 13,400 acres (54 km²). The Southern Power Company was merged with Duke Power Company in 1927.[1]
In October of 1960 the power station was renamed the Wylie Hydroelectric Station and the lake was renamed Lake Wylie, both in honor of Dr. W. Gil Wylie, one of the founders of the original Catawba Power Company that had created the lake and become Duke Power.[1]
[edit] Other information
Lake Wylie's location on both the South Carolina and North Carolina borders makes it a common recreational destination for residents of nearby cities including Charlotte, Fort Mill or Rock Hill. Duke Power manages six public boat access areas on the lake.
Lake Wylie is one of eleven lakes on the Catawba River and is the second oldest lake in the Catawba River Chain which is a chain of lakes that's operated as a system, with water being moved around each lake on the chain system through Duke Power. The lake has a surface area of approximately 13,443 acres (54 km²) with 325 miles (523 km) of shoreline, and stretches from the Mountain Island Dam, south of Mountain Island Lake in North Carolina to the Wylie Dam on the south end of the lake. The average depth of the lake is just over twenty feet.
The Catawba Nuclear Generating Station is located on the south-western part of the lake, and draws its cooling water from the lake. Allen Steam Station located on the northern part of the lake (west of Charlotte) also draws its cooling water from the lake.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Duke Power (2000-08-09). "Wylie Hydroelectric Station Celebrates 75 Years Of Service: A Little History Gets A Chance To Shine". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ Lake Wylie. The Official Tourism Site of South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
- ^ History of York County. Excerpted from "Historical Properties of York County, South Carolina". York County Historical Commission. Retrieved on 2007-08-16.
