Lake James facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake James |
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Lake James in May 2010
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 Lake James
Location in North Carolina
Lake James
Location in the United States
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| Location | Burke / McDowell counties, North Carolina, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°44′36″N 81°53′04″W / 35.74333°N 81.88444°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Catchment area | 387 square miles (1,000 km2) |
| Managing agency | Duke Energy |
| Built | August 1916 |
| First flooded | May 1919 |
| Surface area | 6,812 acres (2,757 ha) |
| Surface elevation | 1,200 feet (370 m) |
Lake James is a large man-made lake, called a reservoir, located in the mountains of Western North Carolina. It sits on the border between Burke and McDowell Counties. The lake is named after James Buchanan Duke, a famous tobacco businessman. He also helped start Duke University.
The lake is about 1200 feet (366 meters) above sea level. It was created by several large earthen dams. Duke Power built the lake between 1916 and 1923. Its main purpose was to generate hydro-electric power. Lake James still makes electricity today. It is the first lake in the Catawba River system.
Contents
History of Lake James
Building the Lake for Power
In the early 1900s, James B. Duke wanted to bring electricity to North Carolina. He planned a system of dams and lakes on the Catawba River. Lake James was a big part of this plan. The lake was built where the Catawba River meets the Linville River. The Catawba River starts in the mountains near Linville Falls. The Linville River begins on Grandfather Mountain. It flows through the Linville Gorge.
Other smaller streams also feed Lake James. One of these is Paddy's Creek. This creek gives its name to a campground and a swimming area. The swimming area has a sandy beach.
The Flooded Community
Building the dams began in 1916. The lake was filled with water by 1923. When the lake flooded, it covered part of a small farming town. This town was called Fonta Flora. It was spread out in the river valley and on the low hills nearby.
Over the years, people started telling stories about Fonta Flora. Some said you could dive down and see old buildings. Others claimed parts of buildings were visible when the water was low. However, there is not much proof that many big buildings were left.
Today, the name Fonta Flora is still used in the area. A brewery in Morganton is named after it. There is also the Fonta Flora State Trail. This trail follows the shore of Lake James. It is being built to connect Morganton to Asheville.
Developing the Lake Area
Lake James covers about 10.2 square miles (26.4 square kilometers) of water. It has more than 150 miles (240 kilometers) of shoreline. Since the 1980s, many homes have been built around the lake. Most of these homes are on the southern and eastern shores.
Much of the land that is not developed belongs to Crescent Communities. This company builds real estate. It used to be part of Duke Energy.
Wildlife and Conservation
In 1999, some bald eagles were found nesting by Lake James. They were on the northeastern shore. This discovery stopped new housing from being built nearby. A small type of invasive jellyfish also lives in the lake's waters.
Some areas around the lake have special rules for building. For example, in places like 1780 and Old Wildlife Club, only one home can be built per 5 acres. About 72 miles (116 kilometers) of the lake's shoreline will never be developed. These areas include Black Forest and Dry Creek. Black Forest is 600 acres (2.4 square kilometers) but has only 54 homes. Dry Creek is about 400 acres (1.6 square kilometers) and has only 64 homes.
Fun Things to Do at Lake James
Lake James State Park
Lake James State Park is located on the southern side of the lake. It was one of the first state parks in North Carolina to get money for land and development from the start. In 2004, Crescent Resources (now Crescent Communities) helped expand the park. They added 3,000 acres (12 square kilometers) to the park's original 605 acres (2.4 square kilometers). This makes it North Carolina's largest state park on the water.
Filming Location
Lake James has been a filming spot for movies. In 1992, the movie The Last of the Mohicans was filmed here. The lake pretended to be Lake George in New York. A copy of Fort William Henry was built for the movie. Lake James was also used for the final scenes of The Hunt for Red October.
Historic Trails and Activities
In 2006, new paths were added to the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVNHT). This trail is 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers long). It was made a historic trail in 1980. The trail remembers the "Overmountain Men" from the Revolutionary War. These patriot soldiers defeated the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain. The new part of the trail goes through the 1780 community. This community is named after the year the soldiers marched through the area. There are plans to connect the OVNHT to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.
At Lake James, you can enjoy many activities. You can use jet skis. Fishing and camping are also popular in special areas.
