Lake Wylie
| Company type | Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hydroelectric power |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Fate | Merged into Southern Power Company in 1905 |
| Successor | Southern Power Company |
| Headquarters | United States |
Lake Wylie is a reservoir located across the states of South Carolina and North Carolina, featuring a surface area of () and roughly of shoreline.
History
The artificial lake was created in 1904 when the Catawba Power Company built the Catawba Dam and Power Plant near India Hook, South Carolina, damming the Catawba River to produce hydroelectric energy. The following year, in 1905, this company became part of Southern Power Company through a merger.
Southern Power elevated the dam and established a new hydroelectric facility in 1924, which commenced operation in 1925. This development expanded Lake Catawba from 668 acres to approximately 13,400 acres. In 1927, Southern Power merged with the Duke Power Company.
In October 1960, the hydroelectric station was renamed Wylie Hydroelectric Station, and the reservoir was designated Lake Wylie to honor W. Gil Wylie, one of the original founders of the Catawba Power Company.
Other information
Situated along the border between South Carolina and North Carolina, Lake Wylie functions as a popular recreational destination for nearby metropolitan areas such as Charlotte, North Carolina, Fort Mill, and Rock Hill, South Carolina. Management of six public boat access locations is handled by Duke Power. The communities of Tega Cay and Lake Wylie lie adjacent to its shores.
As the oldest among eleven lakes within the Catawba River basin, Lake Wylie encompasses roughly 13,443 acres and boasts 325 miles of shoreline. Its stretch runs from Mountain Island Dam near Mountain Island Lake in North Carolina down to Wylie Dam at its southern boundary. The lake’s mean depth is slightly more than 20 feet.
The Catawba Nuclear Generating Station situated on the lake’s southwest side utilizes its water for cooling purposes, as does Allen Steam Station located on the northern shore near Charlotte.
Near the state line beneath Lake Wylie’s waters lies the submerged junction where the South Fork River merges with the Catawba River.
See also
- Lake Wylie, South Carolina
- Catawba Nuclear Generating Station
- Buster Boyd Bridge
- List of lakes in South Carolina
- McDowell Nature Preserve
External links
- Articles with short description
- Protected areas of Gaston County, North Carolina
- Protected areas of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
- Reservoirs in North Carolina
- Reservoirs in South Carolina
- Protected areas of York County, South Carolina
- Duke Energy dams
- Bodies of water of Gaston County, North Carolina
- Bodies of water of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
- Bodies of water of York County, South Carolina
- 1904 establishments in North Carolina
- 1904 establishments in South Carolina
- Catawba River