Lake Wylie

Lake Wylie is a reservoir, or man-made lake in the U.S. states of both South Carolina and North Carolina. The lake has a surface area of 13,400 acres (54 km²) (21sq mi) and features 325 miles (523 km) of shore line.

History

The man-made lake was first formed when the Catawba Power Company built the Catawba Dam and Power Plant near India Hook, South Carolina in 1904. This dam impounded the Catawba River and created Lake Catawba, which was utilized to create hydro-electric power. In 1905 the Catawba Power Company became part of the Southern Power Company.

In 1924 the Southern Power Company raised the level of the dam and built the new Catawba Hydroelectric Station to replace the original. This new facility opened in August 1925, increasing the surface area of Lake Catawba from 668 acres (2.7 km²) to 13,400 acres (54 km²). The Southern Power Company was merged with Duke Power Company in 1927.

In October 1960 the power station was renamed the Wylie Hydroelectric Station and the lake was renamed Lake Wylie, both in honor of Dr. Jake Stephen Wylie, one of the founders of the original Catawba Power Company that had created the lake and become Duke Power.