Lake James

Lake James is a large reservoir in the mountains of Western North Carolina which straddles the border between Burke and McDowell Counties. It is named for tobacco tycoon and benefactor of Duke University, James Buchanan Duke. The lake, with surface elevation of 1200 ft (366 m), lies behind a series of 4 earthen dams. It was created by Duke Power between 1916-1923 as a hydro-electric project.[1] It still generates power today and is the uppermost lake on the Catawba River system.

Development

Lake James contains 10.2 square miles (26 km2) of surface area and more than 150 miles (240 km) of shoreline. Housing development on the lake has been considerable since the 1980s, and is concentrated on its southern and eastern shores.[2] Most of the non-developed area around Lake James is owned by Crescent Resources, LLC.

In 1999, several bald eagles were found nesting in trees on the northeastern shore of Lake James, stopping housing development in their vicinity.[3] A small species of invasive jellyfish also lives in its waters.[4]

1780 and Old Wildlife Club can only have 1 home per 5 acres (20,000 m2). Roughly 72 miles (116 km) of the 150 miles (240 km) of shoreline will never be developed. These developments include Black Forest, Dry Creek, 1780 and Old Wildlife Club. Black Forest is 600 acres (2.4 km2) and could have included 1200 homesites, but has only 54. Dry Creek is around 400 acres (1.6 km2) and was supposed to have 600 homesites, but has only 64.

1780 and Old Wildlife Club do not have a minimum square foot requirement for homes built. They do not allow homes over 6,000 square feet (560 m2). Only natural or natural looking materials are allowed. No brick, stucco, or vinyl allowed. The two communities do not allow clear cutting to the water, but do allow the owners to limb up trees to get a view.

All waterfront lots in 1780 and Old Wildlife Club have a minimum of 200 feet (61 m) of waterfront. Some lots have over half a mile of shoreline. Lots range in size between 1 and 8 acres (32,000 m2). Larger lots can have family compounds, meaning multiple cottages (up to 3) can be built if the topography allows for it.

View of Shortoff Mountain from Lake James

Attractions

Lake James State Park is located on the lake's southern shore. Crescent Resources worked with the State of North Carolina and Foothills Conservancy of NC in 2004 to expand the state park, adding 3,000 acres (12 km2) to the park's original 605 acres (2.45 km2). This now represents North Carolina's largest waterfront State Park. http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/laja/main.php

Meetings of many of the Lake James area's housing associations are held at nearby Saint Paul's Episcopal Church.

In 1992 Lake James was a filming site for the Daniel Day-Lewis movie The Last of the Mohicans, where it doubled as Lake George, New York and a replica of Fort William Henry was constructed. A backdrop of Lake James was used for the final scenes of the movie The Hunt for Red October (film).

In the fall of 2006, the first of 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of new pathways on the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail (OVNHT) was certified by the National Park Service. The trail, which received its historic designation from President Jimmy Carter in 1980, commemorates the march of the “Overmountain Men,” a patriot militia who defeated the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain during the Revolutionary War. The new section of the trail runs through the 1780 community, which is named after the year the militia marched through the Lake James area. Plans have been discussed to connect the OVNHT to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

Unlike the smaller Lake Tahoma in Marion, Lake James allows jet skis, and encourages fishing and camping in designated areas.

Notes

  1. ↑ NC Division of Parks and Recreation: Lake James State Park
  2. ↑ Western Piedmont Council of Governments Economic Indicators Newsletter Fall 2006
  3. ↑ US Fish and Wildlife Service American Bald Eagle Habitat Conservation Plan for the Lake James Project Burke and McDowell Counties, North Carolina
  4. ↑ Gary Peeples, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Southern Appalachian Creature Feature Podcasts, Freshwater Jellyfish, 2008
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