Randleman Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Randleman Lake |
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 Randleman Lake
Location in North Carolina
Randleman Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Randolph / Guilford counties, North Carolina, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°48′54″N 079°46′35″W / 35.81500°N 79.77639°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Deep River& Muddy Creek |
| Primary outflows | Deep River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 3,007 acres (1,217 ha) |
| Shore length1 | 65 mi (105 km) |
| Surface elevation | 682 ft (208 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Randleman Lake is a large, man-made lake in central North Carolina. It's located in parts of Randolph and Guilford Counties. This lake was created in 2004 when the Randleman Lake Dam was built. Its main job is to provide clean drinking water for the city of Greensboro. It also offers fun activities like fishing and boating.
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Building Randleman Lake
Early Ideas for the Lake
The idea for Randleman Lake started a long time ago. In 1937, the US Army Corps of Engineers first suggested building a lake here. They wanted to control floods in the Cape Fear River basin.
Plans and Changes Over Time
By 1968, the US government approved money for the project. But by 1980, not much had happened. The cost of building the lake had also grown a lot. In 1987, the Army Corps of Engineers decided not to support the project anymore. They felt the cost was too high for just flood control.
Local Efforts to Build the Lake
Later in 1987, a local group called the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority (PTRWA) took over. They proposed building a smaller lake. This new plan would cost less money and use less land.
Getting Approval and Starting Work
Over the next few years, the PTRWA studied how the lake would affect the environment. Finally, in 2000, the government gave its approval. Construction on the Randleman Lake Dam began on August 7, 2001. The lake officially opened for public fun on March 1, 2010.
Why Randleman Lake is Important
Providing Drinking Water
The main reason Randleman Lake exists is to supply drinking water. It provides water for the city of Greensboro. The raw water from the lake is cleaned at a special plant in High Point, North Carolina. Greensboro started getting clean water from the lake in October 2010.
Fun Activities at the Lake
Randleman Lake is also a great place for recreation. You can go fishing and sailing in most parts of the lake. There are some rules to keep the lake clean and safe.
- Small personal watercraft are not allowed.
- Sailboats with very tall masts (over 25 feet (7.6 m)) cannot be used.
- Boats are not allowed to stay overnight on the lake.
- There are rules about fueling boats to protect the water quality.
- All boats must follow a speed limit of 25 mph (40 km/h).
- North of the Highway 62 bridge, boats cannot use gasoline or liquid-fueled motors. This helps keep that part of the lake extra clean for drinking water.
