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| Lake Jocassee | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lake Jocassee |
| Location | Pickens County, Oconee County, South Carolina |
| Type | reservoir |
| Inflow | Horsepasture River, Whitewater River, Toxaway River, West Fork Walnut Creek |
| Outflow | Keowee River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Area | 7,500 acres |
| Max-depth | 360 ft |
| Created | 1973 |
Lake Jocassee Lake Jocassee is a man-made reservoir in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northwestern South Carolina, formed by the inundation of steep gorges and river valleys. The impoundment created a deep, oligotrophic lake noted for clear water, submerged waterfalls, and rocky shorelines that attract anglers, divers, and ecotourists. Its creation involved regional utilities, federal agencies, and state partners and significantly altered local hydrology, culture, and recreation.
The reservoir lies within the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and adjacent to the Sumter National Forest, bordered by Oconee County and Pickens County. Primary tributaries include the Horsepasture River, the Whitewater River from Transylvania County, North Carolina, and the Toxaway River, each draining sections of the Appalachian Mountains and feeding into the Keowee River system. The impoundment sits upstream of the Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric Project and contributes to a cascade of reservoirs including Lake Keowee and Lake Hartwell. The lake’s bathymetry features submerged gorges, ridgelines linked to the Blue Ridge Escarpment, and depths exceeding many regional lakes, creating thermoclines that affect stratification and mixing processes studied by researchers from Clemson University and University of South Carolina.
The project to create the reservoir was undertaken during the mid-20th century by energy companies and regional authorities collaborating with federal entities such as the Federal Power Commission and state agencies including the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The inundation in 1973 followed the construction of a major dam as part of broader initiatives tied to post-World War II electrification, regional development, and flood control priorities similar in scope to projects by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Prior to inundation, the submerged landscape contained historic structures associated with communities linked to the Cherokee Nation presence and antebellum settlements tied to the Revolutionary War and later Civil War eras. Archaeologists and historians from institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and South Carolina Historical Society recorded artifacts and cemeteries before relocation or inundation. The project affected transportation corridors including alignments toward Interstate 85 and regional railroads formerly operated by companies like the Southern Railway.
The oligotrophic conditions support cold-water and cool-water fisheries resembling Appalachian mountain aquatic systems maintained by agencies like the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and academics from Clemson University and University of Georgia. Fish species include introduced sportfishes such as smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and walleye, along with native populations of brown trout and brook trout sustained by tributary inflows from protected headwaters in areas managed by the United States Forest Service. Avian life includes raptors and waterbirds documented by groups like the National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy, while mammalian species in surrounding forests include populations monitored by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society. Aquatic plants are sparse in deep zones, but littoral zones adjacent to tracts managed by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and National Park Service host assemblages typical of Appalachian reservoirs. Conservation organizations including The Nature Conservancy and university researchers monitor invasive species concerns similar to those tracked in other reservoirs like Lake Hartwell and Clarks Hill Lake.
The lake serves as a regional destination for boating, angling, scuba diving, hiking, and wildlife observation, drawing visitors from metropolitan centers such as Greenville, South Carolina, Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Atlanta. Facilities and access are managed by state and county agencies including Oconee County parks and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources with outfitters and guide services operating under permits from authorities like the U.S. Forest Service when using adjacent lands in the Sumter National Forest. Nearby attractions that enhance visitation include Table Rock State Park, Devils Fork State Park, and scenic routes connecting to Waterfalls of North Carolina such as Dry Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Tourism infrastructure benefits local economies represented by chambers of commerce in Oconee County and Pickens County and is promoted by regional tourism bureaus linked to the Discover South Carolina initiative.
The reservoir was created by a major dam constructed as part of a hydroelectric and pumped-storage complex involving utility companies such as Duke Energy (formerly Duke Power) and other partners engaged in the Keowee-Toxaway Hydroelectric Project. The project integrates with regional energy grids overseen by entities like the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and interties serving metropolitan areas including Charleston, South Carolina and Columbia, South Carolina. The facilities contribute peaking power and grid stability similar in function to projects like Fontana Dam in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park region. Engineering firms and regulatory oversight included federal standards administered by agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission prior to organizational restructuring from the earlier Federal Power Commission.
Management involves coordination among the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, county authorities in Oconee County, South Carolina and Pickens County, South Carolina, federal agencies such as the United States Forest Service, and nongovernmental organizations including The Nature Conservancy and the National Audubon Society. Conservation goals address habitat protection, water quality monitoring by scientists at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, invasive species control modeled after programs in Lake Hartwell and Lake Keowee, and balancing recreational use with preservation of submerged cultural resources documented by the South Carolina Historical Society and researchers affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. Collaborative initiatives reflect regional watershed management practices found in Appalachian systems and are tied to broader conservation frameworks used by entities like the Environmental Protection Agency for interstate water quality concerns.
Category:Reservoirs in South Carolina Category:Protected areas of Oconee County, South Carolina Category:Protected areas of Pickens County, South Carolina