Lake Michie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Michie |
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 Lake Michie
Location in North Carolina
Lake Michie
Location in the United States
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| Location | Durham County, North Carolina, United States |
| Coordinates | 36°09′40″N 78°50′30″W / 36.161092°N 78.841667°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Flat River |
| Primary outflows | Flat River |
| Catchment area | 168 sq mi (440 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 480 acres (1.9 km2) |
| Surface elevation | 341 ft (104 m) |
| Settlements | Durham |
Lake Michie is a large man-made lake, also called a reservoir, located in Durham County, North Carolina, United States. It's a very important source of drinking water for the city of Durham. The lake is fed mainly by the Flat River. Lake Michie is part of the Neuse River watershed, which means all the water flowing into it eventually makes its way to the Neuse River.
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Building Lake Michie
Lake Michie was created by building a large dam between 1924 and 1926. This dam is made of concrete and earth. Its main job is to hold back water, creating the reservoir. For many years, until 1960, the dam also helped make hydroelectric power for Durham. This means it used the force of moving water to create electricity.
Fun Activities at Lake Michie
Lake Michie is a great place for outdoor fun, especially if you like to fish! You can even rent boats there. The lake is home to many different kinds of fish.
Some of the fish you might find include:
- Largemouth Bass
- Bull Catfish
- Mud Catfish
- Channel Catfish
- Flathead Catfish
- Blue Catfish
- Chain Pickerel
- Longnose Gar
Keeping Durham Hydrated
Lake Michie is super important for the city of Durham. It usually provides about 30 to 35 million US gallons (about 113,500 to 132,500 cubic meters) of drinking water every single day!
City leaders sometimes think about making the lake bigger. This is to make sure there's enough water for everyone in the future. It also helps because over time, sediment (like dirt and sand) can build up at the bottom of the lake, making it hold less water.
Lake Michie and Droughts
In 2007, there was a serious drought in the area. A drought is a long period with very little rain. During this time, both Lake Michie and the Little River Reservoir, which are Durham's main water sources, got very low.
Even though people in Durham cut back their water use a lot, the lake level still dropped. By December 2007, Lake Michie was about 15 feet (4.6 meters) lower than its normal full level. Luckily, thanks to a lot of rain in early 2008, Lake Michie filled back up completely by March of that year.
