Lake Lure (North Carolina)
| Lake Lure | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Lake Lure  Lake Lure | |
| Location | Rutherford County, North Carolina |
| Coordinates | 35°25′55″N 82°11′50″W / 35.43194°N 82.19722°W |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Broad River |
| Primary outflows | Broad River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 717 acres (2.9 km2) |
| Surface elevation | 990 ft (300 m) |
| Settlements | Lake Lure, North Carolina |
Lake Lure is a reservoir, located near the eponymous town of Lake Lure, North Carolina.[1][2]
History
[edit]In 1925, the Morse family created Carolina Mountain Power Company.[3] This company funded dam construction on the Broad River which produced the lake after which the town is named.[3] The dam took two years to build and Lake Lure was finally impounded and filled by 1927.[4] At ordinary water levels, Lake Lure covers approximately 720 acres (2.9 km2) and has a shoreline of approximately 27 miles (43 km).[4] In 1928, the hydroelectric plant began generating electricity for the Blue Ridge Power Company, one of the companies taken over by Duke Power.[4]
Lake Lure, including the dam, was used for filming multiple scenes in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing.[5]
During Hurricane Helene in 2024, Lake Lure received excessive rain over two days, causing the lake to fill and overtop the dam, which compromised structural supports and eroded both sides around the dam, prompting local officials to call for mandatory evacuations for areas downstream of the dam.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Town of Lake Lure". townoflakelure.com. Retrieved December 15, 2019.
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Lure (reservoir)
- ^ a b Whittle, Ashley (August 30, 2019). "Lake Lure at Chimney Rock: America's Greatest Scenic Playground". University of North Carolina at Asheville Special Collections and Archives. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Lake Lure History and Description" (PDF). Lake Lure eGovLink. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ Ruggeri, Amanda (February 25, 2022). "Dirty Dancing in the Blue Ridge Mountains". BBC. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ^ Shiff, Blair. "Lake Lure dam failure prompts mandatory evacuation". WCNC Charlotte. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
Municipalities and communities of Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States | ||
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