LAKE NORMAN TRIVIA
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Lake Norman is the largest man-made lake in North Carolina. It covers about 32,510 acres and is larger than the sea of Galilee. The largest natural lake in the state is Mattamuskeet, at about 30,000 acres.
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Lake Norman's deepest point is 130 feet and the average depth is 33 feet.
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Lake Norman holds about 3,400,000,000 gallons of water.
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Lake Norman's shoreline measures approximately 520 miles, more than the coastlines of North Carolina and South Carolina combined.
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Lake Norman is bordered by 4 counties: Mecklenburg was named for the home province of King George III's wife, Queen Charlotte; Catawba was named for the Catawba Indians, who actually called themselves Eswataroa (meaning great river); Lincoln was named for Benjamin Lincoln, not Abraham Lincoln; and Iredell was named for James Iredell, who never saw the county.
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There have been many unusual sightings around Lake Norman, including a mysterious cat-like creature known as the wampus, UFOs, man sized catfish and an alligator or two.
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During the Revolutionary War a battle was fought on February1, 1781 at almost the exact spot where Cowan's Ford Dam now sits. Militia General William Lee Davidson, for whom Davidson College is named, was killed in the battle.
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The groundbreaking for Cowan's Ford Dam was held September 28, 1959. Governor Terry Sanford was the keynote speaker at the dedication of the completed dam five years later on September 29, 1964.
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The first metal bridge to span the Catawba River in this area was built by James W. Brown & B.A. Troutman of Mooresville and completed in 1911. It was located about 1/4 mile downstream form the present NC Hwy 150 bridge.
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Under the heading of planning ahead; James B. Duke's associates began purchasing Catawba Valley bottomland in 1901 to prepare for the future power generation.
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Had Lake Norman not been in place, there would probably have been flooding on the Catawba River in 1970. Severe flooding did occur in 1916 and 1940.
- The Catawba River froze solid enough for horse drawn wagons to cross in November 27, 1886 and January 19 1887.
704-806-2492 cell
704-235-1591 fax
18 Morlake Drive Suite 100
Mooresville, NC 28117
