- Mountain Island Lake
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Mountain Island Lake 
Location Gaston / Mecklenburg counties, North Carolina, USA Coordinates 35°21′50″N 80°56′22″W / 35.3639°N 80.9394°WCoordinates: 35°21′50″N 80°56′22″W / 35.3639°N 80.9394°W Lake type reservoir Primary inflows Catawba River Basin countries United States Surface area 3,281 acres (13 km2) Shore length1 61 miles (98 km) Surface elevation 647.5 feet (197 m) Islands Mountain Island 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. Mountain Island Lake was created in 1924 to coincide with the building of Mountain Island Hydroelectric Station. It is named after the mountain which appears as an island in the lake. Full pond elevation is approximately 647.5 feet (197 m). The lake has around 3,281 acres (13 km2) of surface area and 61 miles (98 km) of shoreline.
Riverbend Steam Station on Mountain Island Lake
Contents
River, Water, and Lake Access
Mountain Island Lake is fed by the Catawba River, and is the smallest of the three man-made lakes that border Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (Lake Norman, and Lake Wylie). Mountain Island Lake is managed by Charlotte-based company Duke Energy. The primary function of Mountain Island Lake is to provide drinking water for residents of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, as well as Mount Holly and Gastonia, Gaston County. The lake is also accessible to the public for boating and fishing use. There are two boating access areas on the lake and a tailrace fishing platform for bank fishing in cooperation with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
Power Generation
The lake generates hydro-electric power and supports Riverbend Steam Station by cooling the steam that drives the turbines.
Mountain Island Hydro Station
Mountain Island Hydro Station is a four-unit generating facility with a capacity of 60 megawatts located in Gaston County, North Carolina. It was built in 1923 to meet the growing demand for electricity by homeowners in the Carolinas. At the time, electricity was largely used by industrial customers.
Riverbend Steam Station
Riverbend Steam Station is a 454 megawatt, coal-fired generating facility located in Gaston County, North Carolina. It was first built in 1929. The four-unit station is named for a bend in the Catawba River on which it is located. Riverbend is considered a cycling station and is brought on line to supplement supply when electricity demand is highest. Four gas-fired combustion turbine units are also housed on the site.
Attractions
Inside of Mountain Island Lake is a small island called Mountain Island. Other area attractions include the historic Rural Hill Farm, Historic Latta Plantation, and the Carolina Raptor Center.
Carolina Raptor Center
The Carolina Raptor Center is dedicated to environmental stewardship and the conservation of birds of prey, through education, research, and the rehabilitation of injured and orphan raptors. Over 23 different species of raptors are on a 3/4 mile long nature trail inside of Latta Plantation Nature Preserve on the banks of Mountain Island Lake.
Historic Latta Plantation
The Plantation was built in 1800 and was called Latta Place after its owner James Latta, an immigrant from Northern Ireland. Latta was a successful traveling merchant through 1820, Mr. Latta then retired and turned his property into a cotton plantation consisting of 742 acres and 34 enslaved people. After Mr. Latta's death in 1837, his wife Jane sold the property to David Harry. In 1853, William Sample purchased the property, which was owned by the Sample family until 1922. Crescent Land and Timber, a subsidiary of Duke Power, then purchased the property because of its proximity to the Catawba River and the construction of the dam. It is now a museum.
External links
Categories:- Geography of Charlotte, North Carolina
- Reservoirs in North Carolina
- Protected areas of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
- Protected areas of Gaston County, North Carolina
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