Lake Santeetlah

Infobox lake
lake_name = Lake Santeetlah
image_lake = LakeSanteetlah(lake).jpg
caption_lake = in spring
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location = Graham County, North Carolina
coords = coord|35|21|22|N|083|50|18|W|region:US-NC_type:waterbody_source:gnis|display=inline,title
type = reservoir
inflow = Cheoah River
outflow = Cheoah River
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basin_countries = United States
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Lake Santeetlah, part of the Tennessee River watershed, was created in 1928 when Alcoa dammed the Cheoah River as a means of generating hydroelectric power in Graham County, North Carolina. The lake is largely surrounded by the Cheoah District of the Nantahala National Forest. During the last decades of the twentieth century non-public lands were developed as scenic residences and vacation homes, most notably in the area now incorporated as the town of Lake Santeetlah. ["Graham County: A Quiet Place in the Smokies," undated pamphlet, Graham County Travel and Tourism, Robbinsville, NC.]

Although the area below the highwater mark continues to be managed by Alcoa, approximately 80% of the surrounding land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, which provides swimming, camping, picnicking, fishing and boating facilities. Lake Santeetlah has 76 miles of shore line and is home to a variety of trout, muskie, crappie, and bass. Of special note is the adjoining Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, which was set aside in 1936 as a memorial to poet-soldier Joyce Kilmer, and is perhaps "the most impressive example of original, old growth forest" in the eastern United States. ["Santeetlah Lake," undated pamphlet, Alcoa.]

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