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Lakes

There are eleven major lakes in the basin and the dams that form these lakes have a major impact on the flow of the river.

Catawba River Lakes and Dams

Historical information about the Catawba basin is available by clicking here. A page about the eleven lakes of the Catawba and links to information about the individual lakes is here. Statistical information about the North Carolina lakes along the Catawba River is summarized below:


Reservoir	Drainage Basin Area	Overall Capacity	Working Capacity	Surface Area	Maximum Hydropower Output	Mean Depth	Mean Retention time
	km^2	MG	MG	km2	MW	m	days
Lake James	984.2	89710	8886	27.6	20	13.5	208
Lake Rhodhiss	1838.9	15150	3990	12.4	26	6.3	21
Lake Hickory	569.8	33660	3443	17.1	36	9.5	33
Lookout Shoals	362.6	8146	1064	5.3	26	7.3	7
Lake Norman	880.6	356400	63526	131.4	350	10.2	239
Mountain Island Lake	181.3	18670	2675	13.3	60	5.4	12
Lake Wylie	3004.4	74690	13150	54.4	60	7	39
Fishing Creek Lake		19450		13.6		5.4	6
Great Falls & Rocky Creek				1.9
Lake Wateree	845.7	100987		56.1		6.9	27

Clicking on the following links will Lowes Headquarters on Lake Norman take you to the Duke Energy website for more information about each of the lakes along the Catawba River:

Mountain Island Lake,

Rocky Creek, and

The photo above shows new development around Lake Norman. The map below shows the location of each of the lakes in the Catawba-Wateree River basin.

Document Actions

Upcoming Events: Lake Wylie Covekeeper Meeting T-Bones on the Lake,
Feb 08, 2012; Lake James Covekeeper Meeting 4794 E. Shores Dr., Morganton, NC,
Feb 09, 2012; Lake Wateree Covekeeper Mtg Dutchman Creek VFD,
Feb 09, 2012; Mountain Island Lake Covekeepers Monthly Meeting Cook's Presbyterian Church,
Feb 13, 2012; Lake Hickory Covekeeper meeting Hickory, NC,
Feb 20, 2012; Upcoming events…

Covekeeper Meetings

Join us for our monthly Covekeeper Meetings:

Lake James: 2nd Thursday at 6:30 p.m. - 4794 E. Shores Dr., Morganton, NC.

Lake Hickory & Lake Rhodhiss: 3rd Monday at 7 p.m. - 320 Mauney Hall at Lenoir-Rhyne College

Lake Norman: 4th Thursday - East Lincoln Fire Department on South Pilot Knob Road off Hwy. 16.

Mountain Island Lake: 2nd Monday at 7 p.m. - Cooks Presbyterian Church

Lake Wylie: 2nd Wednesday at 7 p.m. - T-Bones on the Lake

Lake Wateree: 2nd Thursday at 7 p.m. - Dutchman Creek Fire Dept.

Please check the calendar section of the website to verify the meeting time and location.

News: Jan 30, 2012 Catawba River One of Top 10 Endangered Places in the South
On January 26, 2012, the Southern Environmental Law Center announced its annual list of the Top 10 Endangered Places in the Solutheastern U.S. The Catawba-Wateree River was back on the list as the 3rd most endangered place in the Southeast because of the threats from coal ash, power plant water use and unnecessary reservoirs.; Jan 26, 2012 Soil runoff from Target project still damaging stream
Catawba Riverkeeper volunteers have been closely monitoring the development of the new Target store near Cox Road and I-85. This project required moving a large portion of a hillside and rerouting a stream. As reported in the article, it is questionable about whether it is feasible to limit sedimentation in the short-term and whether the site will be stable over the long term.; Jan 18, 2012 Catawba Riverkeeper Files Lawsuit Against SCE&G
On January 12, 2012, The Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Catawba Riverkeeper, filed a lawsuit against SCE&G to require a cleanup of coal ash ponds with a long history of leakage.; Jan 07, 2012 Coal Ash Dumping on the Rise
The Environmental Integrity Project reports that toxic coal ash dumping on the rise in the South.; Dec 15, 2011 Concerns Raised Again About Coal Ash Pond on Wateree River
Coal ash pervasive: 2 billion pounds of power plant waste gets in ponds, landfills in SC.; More news…

Alliances

The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation is a proud member of EarthShare North Carolina, River Network, the North Carolina Conservation Network, and the Waterkeeper Alliance. EarthShare North Carolina makes it possible for employees to support the environment through workplace giving programs. River Network’s mission is to empower and unite people and communities to protect and restore rivers and other waters that sustain the health of our country. The NC Conservation Network supports, trains and coordinates diverse groups and directly advocates to achieve equitable and sustainable solutions for our environment. The Waterkeeper Alliance is a worldwide network of advocates for protection of our water resources. For more information about these organizations or to inquire about enrolling your employer in EarthShare NC, please contact CRF@catawbariverkeeper.org.

EarthShare of North Carolina Logo

NC Conservation Network Logo

River Network Logo

Waterkeeper Alliance Logo

In This Section

Make a Donation

Your River needs you as much as you need the River

River maps and Recreational options

Maps

General Map of Basin Showing Elevation Changes - jpg image
Map of Catawba Basin Showing Sub-Watersheds - jpg image
Upper Catawba River Basin Map - Interactive map with legend
Lower Catawba-Wateree River Basin Map - Interactive map with legend
Map & Information About Water Withdrawals and Discharges - Interactive map of the municipal water withdrawals and wastewater discharges along the Catawba River and Wateree River
Map showing locations of withdrawals and returns - jpg image
Coal ash ponds and other locations of interest - Interactive map
Additional maps - CRF web page

Recreation

Report Pollution in the Catawba River

Help protect your River!

Tell your Riverkeeper if you see:

Sewage Overflows
Failure to control sediment from construction sites
Illegal clearing of buffer areas
Fish kills
Invasive aquatic species
Exceeding Pollution Limits
Discharges exceeding allowable limits
Unpermitted discharges
Other issues that concern you

Click here to fill out a pollution report or

Call 1-888-679-9494 or 704-679-9494 (ext. 3)

Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation

Promote Your Page Too

How to contact your NC Legislator: Sometimes you just can't get the action that is needed to protect our water without contacting your legislator. To find out who represents you in the North Carolina legislature and how to contact them, click here.

421 Minuet Ln Ste 205 . Charlotte, NC 28217-2784 . Phone: 704.679.9494 . Fax: 704.679.9559