Lake Norman

Lake Norman
typical coastline
Location	Catawba / Iredell / Lincoln / Mecklenburg counties, North Carolina, United States
Coordinates
Lake type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Catawba River
Basin countries	United States
Surface area	> 50.8 sq mi (132 km2)

Lake Norman, created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy, is the largest manmade body of fresh water located in North Carolina.

General Information

Lake Norman is fed by the Catawba River, and drains into Mountain Island Lake to the south. It was named after former Duke Power president Norman Atwater Cocke. Lake Norman is sometimes referred to as the "inland sea" of North Carolina; it offers 520 miles (840 km) of shoreline and a surface area of more than 50 square miles (130 km²). Full pond at Lake Norman is 760 feet (230 m) above mean sea level. Interstate 77 and North Carolina Highway 150 cross Lake Norman at different points.

Lake Norman provides electricity to the Piedmont region of the Carolinas. It powers the generators at the hydroelectric station at Cowans Ford Dam, and is used by Marshall Steam Station and McGuire Nuclear Station to cool the steam that drives their turbines. The lake supplies water to Lincoln County, Catawba County, Iredell County, Mooresville, Charlotte, and other towns in Mecklenburg County, particularly Davidson and Huntersville.

Duke Power partnered with the state of North Carolina to establish Lake Norman State Park. It has also built two bank fishing areas and eight public boating access areas along the shoreline. One site is leased to Mecklenburg County and one to Iredell County. Popular game fish in Lake Norman include catfish, crappie, bluegill and yellow perch, as well as striped, largemouth, white bass along with multiple types of turtles. On December 11, 2014, Duke Energy, to repair a rusted, leaking pipe, received approval from North Carolina to dump Coal Ash (containing arsenic, lead, thallium and mercury, among other heavy metals) from the Marshall Steam Station into Lake Norman. Groundwater at the Marshall Steam Station does flow toward Lake Norman, and the contaminated field abuts the lake for about 30 feet of shoreline near its largest coal ash basin. On October 3, 2015, Duke reported that a sinkhole had formed at the base of the Marshall Steam Station dam north of Charlotte on Lake Norman. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) says Duke placed a liner in the hole and filled it with crushed stone.

Lake Norman is also the location for one of the International Jet Sport Boats Association (IJSBA) tour stops. Team Tweek, a race team headquartered in Mooresville, helps promote and coordinate the annual event.

Lake Norman is also the location of Lake Norman Yacht Club which is the host of many South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association (SAYRA) sailboat races throughout the year. Davidson College also owns and operates a "Lake Campus" for students on Lake Norman.

Year Built: 1959-1964

Area: 32,510 acres at full pond

Length: 33.6 miles

Width: 9 miles

Shore line length: 520 miles

Maximum Depth: 110 feet

Average Depth: 33.5 feet

Maximum Drawdown: 15 feet

Capacity: 3.4 trillion gallons of water

Volume: 1,093,600 acre-feet

Elevation at full pond: 760 feet above MSL

Retention Time: 207 days (average)

Drainage Area: 1,790 square miles

Average River Flow @ Cowans Ford Dam: 1,726 MGD

Named for: Norman Atwater Cocke (former president of Duke Power)

Source of the Catawba River: McDowell County near Mount Mitchell

Counties

• Catawba County
• Iredell County
• Lincoln County
• Mecklenburg County

Settlements

• Cornelius
• Davidson
• Denver
• Governors Island
• Huntersville
• Lake Norman of Catawba
• Mooresville
• Sherrills Ford
• Terrell
• Troutman
• Westport

External links

• International Jet Sport Boats Association Website
• Lake Norman Yacht Club Website
• Lake Norman Waterfront Dining (North Carolina)
• Local Home Improvement