Claytor Lake
| Claytor Lake | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location |
Pulaski County, Virginia, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°04′30″N 80°35′05″W / 37.07500°N 80.58472°W |
| Lake type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | New River |
| Primary outflows | New River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 21.67 mi (34.87 km) |
| Surface area | 4,472 acres (1,810 ha) |
| Surface elevation | 1,846 ft (563 m) (normal full pool) |
Claytor Lake in Pulaski County, Virginia, is an approx. 4,500 acre (18 km²), 21 mile (34 km) long reservoir on the New River created for a hydroelectric project of Appalachian Power Company. It is named for W. Graham Claytor, Sr. (1886–1971) of Roanoke, Virginia, a vice president of Appalachian Power who had supervised construction of the Claytor Dam which created the lake.
Three miles of Claytor Lake's shoreline is bordered by Claytor Lake State Park, operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In 1910, the New River Power Company began acquiring land on the New River, south of Radford, Virginia, for the impoundment for several hydroelectric dam projects. By 1925, these projects had been combined, and control of the project passed to Appalachian Power Company. The construction of Development No. 6, later called the Claytor Dam, began in 1937 and was completed in 1939. By the Spring of 1940, the New River was fully impounded, and Claytor Lake was formed.
Claytor Dam is a gravity concrete dam, impounding an estimated storage capacity of 225,000 acre-feet. The plant is the largest of the power company's 12 hydroelectric plants, with a total generating capacity of 75 megawatts.
In early 1944, the people of the surrounding area expressed an interest in the establishment of a state park on the new lake. The idea continued to grow, and in 1946 private citizens and businesses from Pulaski, Radford and Blacksburg raised the money needed to purchase 437 acres (1.77 km2) from Appalachian Power. This land was given to the state to be developed as Claytor Lake State Park.
The Friends of Claytor Lake (www.focl.org) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is dedicated to conserving and protecting the quality, sustainability and tranquility of the environment of Claytor Lake for all. They operate a clean up crew which is responsible for removal of debris from Claytor Lake averaging 6,000 tons of debris and trash each year. They are instrumental in boater safety programs, water quality studies, hydrilla control, and other programs enhancing the experience for lake goers. Donations can be made to The Friends of Claytor Lake and are tax deductible.
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Wikipedia