Lake Wylie

Lake Wylie
Lake Wylie in the Autumn
Location	York County, South Carolina / Gaston / Mecklenburg counties, North Carolina, US
Coordinates	35°5′8.9″N 81°3′30.9″W / 35.085806°N 81.058583°W / 35.085806; -81.058583Coordinates: 35°5′8.9″N 81°3′30.9″W / 35.085806°N 81.058583°W / 35.085806; -81.058583
Lake type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Catawba River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	21 sq mi (54 km2)
Max. depth	73 m (240 ft)
Shore length1	325 mi (523 km)
Islands	many
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 a reservoir, or man-made lake in the U.S. states of both 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.

History

The man-made lake was first formed when the Catawba Power Company built the Catawba Dam and Power Plant near 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 built the new Catawba Hydroelectric Station to replace the original. This new facility opened in August 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 1960 the power station was renamed the Wylie Hydroelectric Station and the lake was renamed Lake Wylie, both in honor of Dr. Jake Stephen Wylie, one of the founders of the original Catawba Power Company that had created the lake and become Duke Power.^[1]

Other information

Lake Wylie cove in early December

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, and Rock Hill. Duke Power manages six public boat access areas on the lake. There are also two towns that are located on Lake Wylie including, Tega Cay and Lake Wylie

Lake Wylie is one of eleven lakes on the Catawba River and is the second oldest lake in the Catawba River Chain, 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.

The South Fork River and Catawba River confluence is now submerged under Lake Wylie near the North Carolina/South Carolina state line.

Foreign Animal Sightings

Alligators

Although they are not native to the area, alligators are sighted in Lake Wylie every few years. In 1999 Catawba Nuclear Station employees spotted a 5–7 foot alligator in a nearby lagoon and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources officers captured an eight-foot alligator in August 2002. More recently, three small three-foot gators were spotted around the Elks Park Campground in 2009 and many have been spotted since . Wildlife experts generally agree that the likeliest cause of alligators in Lake Wylie is illegal dumping.^[4][5]

Snakehead Fish

In August 2009, a Snakehead (fish) was caught in the Paw Creek arm of Lake Wylie. South Carolina DNR officials say they are not worried about the catch, and have their plan to exterminate the fish if it becomes a problem. Many more have been reported since the 2009 sighting.

See also

• Lake Wylie, South Carolina
• Catawba Nuclear Generating Station
• Buster Boyd Bridge

References