Lake Jocassee
| Lake Jocassee | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | Oconee / Pickens counties, South Carolina, United States |
| Coordinates | 34°57′36″N 82°55′10″W / 34.96000°N 82.91944°WCoordinates: 34°57′36″N 82°55′10″W / 34.96000°N 82.91944°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Horsepasture, Toxaway, Whitewater, Thompson Rivers |
| Primary outflows | Keowee River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 7,500 acres (30 km2) |
| Average depth | 158 ft (48 m) |
| Max. depth | 350 ft (110 m) |
| Shore length1 | 75 mi (121 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,100 ft (340 m) |
| Frozen | No |
| Islands | Dozen small islets |
| Settlements | Clemson, Pickens, Salem, and Seneca |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lake Jocassee is a 7,500-acre (30 km2), 300-foot (91 m) deep reservoir located in northwest South Carolina created by the state in partnership with Duke Power in 1973. The lake is commonly known for the clean and cold Appalachian mountain rivers that feed the lake to keep its waters cool and clear year-round. The Jocassee Dam, which forms the lake, is 385 feet (117 m) high and 1,750 feet (530 m) long. The lake is within Devils Fork State Park.
Although most manmade structures were demolished prior to the creation of the lake, divers recently discovered the remains of a lodge which was left intact until the lake rose; it is now below 300 feet of water. Mount Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery was a setting for a scene in the film Deliverance (1972), starring Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight, produced before the lake was flooded. The site is now covered by 130 feet of water in the lake.
A confluence of four rivers supplies Lake Jocassee's water. The farthest west of the rivers, the Whitewater River, flows southeast until it meets the northwest corner of Lake Jocassee. The Thompson River flows due south until it too reaches the lake in the northwest corner. The Horsepasture River feeds the lake from the northeast corner, along with the Toxaway River, which is directly east of the Horsepasture River.
The Jocassee Hydro Station, located in the southeast corner of Lake Jocassee, separates it from the beginning of Lake Keowee, also known as the Keowee River. Lake Keowee's furthest extent to the south brings it close to the city of Seneca, with the old mill town of Newry actually on it. Unlike Lake Jocassee, Keowee is heavily settled, primarily because most of the land adjacent to Lake Jocassee is owned by Duke Power and the State of South Carolina.
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Wikipedia