Summersville Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Summersville Dam |
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Summersville Lake
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| Location | Nicholas County, near Summersville, West Virginia |
| Coordinates | 38°13′23″N 80°53′26″W / 38.22306°N 80.89056°W |
| Construction began | 1960 |
| Opening date | 1966 |
| Operator(s) | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Gauley River |
| Height | 390 feet (120 m) |
| Length | 2,280 feet (690 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Summersville Lake |
| Surface area | 2,700 acres (11 km2) |
| Normal elevation | 1,644 feet (501 m) |
Summersville Lake is a large, human-made lake in West Virginia, United States. It was created by building a special wall, called a dam, across the Gauley River. This lake is located south of the town of Summersville in Nicholas County.
Summersville Lake is the biggest lake in West Virginia. It covers about 2,700 acres (1,100 ha) of water. When the water level is at its highest in summer, the lake has over 60 miles (97 km) of shoreline. The deepest part of the lake goes down 327 feet.
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Building the Summersville Dam
The Summersville Dam was built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Construction started in 1960 and finished in 1966. The main reason for building the dam was to control floods. It helps manage water from an 803-square-mile (2,080 km2) area along the Gauley River and the Kanawha River.
The dam itself is very impressive. It stands 390 feet (120 m) tall and stretches 2,280 feet (690 m) long. It's made from 12,000,000 cubic yards (9,200,000 m3) of dirt and rock. This makes it the second-largest rock-fill dam in the eastern United States. On September 3, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson officially opened the dam.
Making Electricity with Water Power
In 2001, a two-year project was finished at the dam. This project added a way to use the water flowing out of the dam to create electricity. This power plant can make up to 80 megawatts of electricity when the water flow is at its strongest.
Fun Activities at the Lake
Summersville Lake is a popular spot for many outdoor activities. People enjoy fishing, boating, and rock climbing here. It's also a great place for snorkeling and scuba diving. There's even a small boat that was purposely sunk in the lake to give divers something cool to explore underwater!
The lake is also the eastern end of the Gauley River National Recreation Area. If you go past the bridge that Route 19 crosses over the lake, you'll find a "no-wake zone." This means boats must go slowly, which is perfect for calm boating. You can also find the only working lighthouse in West Virginia on the cliffs of Summersville Lake. It's called the Summersville Lake Lighthouse.
Images for kids
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Summersville Dam.
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Aerial view of the lake.
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Spillway and tailwaters.
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Detail of spillway.
