Lake Norman,
the state's largest manmade lake was impounded in the early 1960's. Located northwest of Charlotte, NC and southwest of Statesville,
NC, Lake Norman rambles close to Interstate 77. Named
for Norman Atwater
Cocke, a retired president of Duke Power, Lake Norman stretches 34 miles from
Cowans Ford Dam on the southern end to the tailrace of Lookout Lake at the northern end.
The lake provides plenty of room to stretch out and relax, with a surface area of 32,510
acres and a shoreline of approximately 520 miles. Several parks in Mecklenburg and
southern Iredell County offer public access for swimming and boating.
Lake
Norman was created when Duke Power Co. dammed the Catawba River to
generate hydroelectric power. Duke operates three power plants on
the lake; McGuire Nuclear Station, Marshall Steam Station (Highway
150 West) and Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station. Lake
Norman's shoreline rambles through Mecklenburg, Iredell, Catawba
and Lincoln counties. The Catawba River meanders through the
Carolinas for 450 miles, becoming the Wateree, the Santee and,
finally, the Cooper River just before it flows into the Atlantic
Ocean near Charleston.
Lake Norman Water
Levels
Annual Range for Lake
Norman
Lake levels are measured at
the hydro station dam and are expressed in feet in relation to
FULL POND where full pond is 100.0. Full pond at Lake Norman is
equivalent to 760 feet above mean sea level.
January |
96 -
94 |
| February |
94 - 92 (Lowest
point at end of February) |
| March |
92 -
94 |
| April |
94 -
96 |
| May |
96 -
98 |
| June |
98 |
| July |
98 |
| August |
98 |
| September -
November |
98 -
97 |
| December |
97 -
96 |
NOTE: Duke Power
reservoirs are kept within an operating range or base lake level
primarily designed to provide generation, accommodate heavy spring
rains to minimize the impact of heavy rainfall, supply municipal
water, and secondarily to provide recreational
opportunities.
Lake levels will fluctuate on a DAILY basis
and SEASONAL basis due to electricity generation and adverse
weather conditions. Therefore the actual level may increase or
decrease by approximately one foot.
For daily water level you may call
1-800-829-5253
McGuire Nuclear Station
McGuire Nuclear Station is located on a 586-acre site about 17 miles northwest of
Charlotte, N.C., on scenic Lake Norman near Huntersville, NC. The station has two units,
each capable of producing 1180 megawatts, about 20% of Duke’s total yearly
generation. Ground was broken for McGuire in 1971, with Unit 1 coming on line in 1981.
Unit 2 began operation in 1984. There are about 1,250 employees at McGuire Nuclear
Station. McGuire is owned and operated by Duke Power, a Duke Energy company; an international leader in the
safe and reliable production of electricity.
Tours of McGuire are available on most Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. and reservations
must be made in advance. To schedule a tour or if you would like more information about
McGuire Nuclear Station, please call McGuire Community Relations at 1-800-777-0003 or
1-704-875-5600.
Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station
Located on Highway 73 near McGuire Nuclear Station, Duke Power’s Cowans
Ford Hydroelectric Station began operating in 1963. Its four turbines produce 350,000
kilowatts of electricity. The total length of Cowans Ford Dam, including earthen dams is
7,387 feet, with the concrete portion measuring 1,279 feet. At maximum height, the dam is
130 feet. Cowans Ford Dam created the 32,500 acre Lake Norman.
The EnergyExplorium
The EnergyExplorium, located at McGuire Nuclear Station, is an energy information center that
attracts neighbors and school groups. About 35,000 people visited the
EnergyExplorium last
year. To accommodate this growing number of visitors, the EnergyExplorium was expanded and
remodeled in 1997.
The EnergyExplorium features hands-on energy information
exhibits, a Lake Norman movie, wildflower garden and one-mile nature trail. Visit the
EnergyExplorium. Have fun learning to use energy wisely and discover how electricity is
generated.
Some of the information contained on these pages
was provided by Duke Energy, Inc. and
The Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce.
This site is not affiliated with Duke
Energy, Inc. or the Mooresville-South Iredell Chamber of Commerce and
use of these names does not represent an endorsement of this site.
