Lake Norman

Common card · No. 208204

Lake Norman (LKN) is an artificial freshwater lake located in southwestern North Carolina, approximately 15 miles (24 km) north of Charlotte. Created between 1959 and 1964 during the construction of Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy, it is the largest man-made body of freshwater located entirely within North Carolina. The lake is named after former Duke Power president Norman Atwater Cocke. Spanning over 50 square miles (130 km2) with 520 miles (840 km) of shoreline, Lake Norman borders four North Carolina counties: Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg. Fed by the Catawba River, the reservoir serves as a critical infrastructure hub for the Piedmont region, providing cooling water for the McGuire Nuclear Station and Marshall Steam Station. The water from the lake drives the generators at the hydroelectric station in Cowards Ford Dam, and supplies drinking water to surrounding municipalities. The creation of the lake submerged historical farmlands, mill towns, and Native American settlement...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Prince Grobhelm, CC BY-SA 3.0