Lake Tillery

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Lake Tillery
Lake Tillery, North Carolina.jpg
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Lake Tillery
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Lake Tillery
Location Montgomery / Stanly counties, North Carolina, United States
Coordinates 35°12′24″N80°03′58″W / 35.20667°N 80.06611°W / 35.20667; -80.06611
Primary inflows Yadkin River Uwharrie River
Primary outflows Pee Dee River
Basin  countriesUnited States
Max. depth200 ft (61 m)
Shore length1117.8 mi (189.6 km) [1]
Surface elevation278 ft (85 m)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Tillery is a reservoir between Falls Reservoir and Blewett Falls Lake in the Uwharrie Lakes Region of North Carolina. It is entirely within Stanly County and Montgomery County, NC. The lake was created by impounding the Pee Dee River, which is created by the confluence of the Yadkin River and the Uwharrie River several miles to the north. Norwood, NC in neighboring Stanly County uses as its town motto "Gateway to Lake Tillery".

Contents

James B. Garrison Bridge

The James B. Garrison Bridge is the only crossing of the Pee-Dee-Yadkin River between Badin Lake and Norwood. The bridge carries traffic on North Carolina Highway 24/27/73 across the river and Lake Tillery from Stanly County to Montgomery County. Swift Island Bridge, the water's old crossing parallels the newer two-lane bridge which accompanies it; the older bridge is a narrow one-lane concrete arch bridge built in 1922.

In the 1920s when it was discovered that the 5,000-acre (20 km2) lake to be impounded behind the new dam would cover the original reinforced concrete and steel bridge, Carolina Power & Light (now Duke Energy Progress Inc), owner of the new dam, turned it over to the U.S. military for training purposes. First, engineers were unable to collapse the bridge by overloading it with dead weight. Next, the Army Air Corp dropped bombs on it. Later, an artillery division targeted it with cannon fire. It finally took a ton of TNT to bring the bridge down.

Tillery Dam

Tillery Dam was constructed in 1928 as an 87-megawatt hydroelectric facility owned and operated by Carolina Power, and now owned by Duke Energy. [2] Standing 86 feet (26 m) high, 2,800 feet (850 m) long, and with four generators, the dam is operated to increase the efficiency of the company's Blewett Hydroelectric Plant, about 25 miles (40 km) downstream.

In 2008, in the context of its state licensing, the Southern Environmental Law Center challenged the power company's proposed minimum water flows in the 20-mile (32 km) stretch between Tillery Dam and Blewett Dam. The SELC asserted that the proposed levels would violate the state's water quality standards, damage aquatic wildlife, and disrupt boating. [3]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montgomery County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Montgomery County is a rural county located in the southern Piedmont of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,751. Its county seat is Troy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanly County, North Carolina</span> County in North Carolina, United States

Stanly County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 62,504. Its county seat is Albemarle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albemarle, North Carolina</span> City in North Carolina, United States

Albemarle is a city in and the county seat of Stanly County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 16,432 in the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwood, North Carolina</span> Town in North Carolina, United States

Norwood is a town in Stanly County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,379 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yadkin River</span> River in North Carolina, United States

The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in the US state of North Carolina, flowing 215 miles (346 km). It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, power, and flood control. The river becomes the Pee Dee River at the confluence of the Uwharrie River south of the community of Badin and east of the town of Albemarle. The river then flows into South Carolina near Cheraw, which is at the Fall Line. The entirety of the Yadkin River and the Great Pee Dee River is part of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morrow Mountain State Park</span> State park in North Carolina, United States

Morrow Mountain State Park is a state park in Stanly County, North Carolina, U.S. Located near Albemarle, the park includes 5,881 acres (23.80 km2) within the Uwharrie Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catawba River</span> River in North Carolina and South Carolina, United States

The Catawba River is a major river located in the Southeastern United States. It originates in Western North Carolina and flows into South Carolina, where it later becomes known as the Wateree River. The river is approximately 220 miles (350 km) long. It rises in the Appalachian Mountains and drains into the Piedmont, where it has been impounded through a series of reservoirs for flood control and generation of hydroelectricity. The river is named after the Catawba tribe of Native Americans, which lives on its banks. In their language, they call themselves "yeh is-WAH h’reh", meaning "people of the river."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uwharrie River</span> Stream in North Carolina, USA

The Uwharrie River () is a 61.84 mi (99.52 km) long river, in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuckertown Reservoir</span> Reservoir in North Carolina

The Tuckertown Reservoir is the reservoir formed by the Tuckertown Dam35°29′05″N80°10′36″W at the North end of Badin Lake and the High Rock Dam 35°36′03″N80°14′06″W at the bottom of High Rock Lake in the Uwharrie Lakes Region in the U.S. state of North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uwharrie Lakes Region</span>

The Uwharrie Lakes Region of North Carolina in the United States refers to the lakes created by the damming of the Yadkin and Pee Dee rivers along the western slopes of the ancient Uwharrie Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badin Lake</span> Reservoir in Uwharrie Lakes Region, North Carolina

Badin Lake is one of a series of lakes created by the damming of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in the Uwharrie Lakes Region of the United States. The Badin Lake Dam was built in 1917 to support local aluminum smelting plant, Alcoa, and the associated community of Badin was named for the founder, Adrien Badin. The power generation unit was sold to Cube Hydro Carolinas in February 2017. Badin Lake is in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. It is contained by Narrows Dam at the town of Badin, North Carolina. Sitting within a valley, the lake is very deep, with a maximum depth of 190 ft. The lake occupies 5,350 acres (22 km2) and has 115 mi (185 km) of shoreline. Its waters have an average summer temperature of 84.4 °F (29.1 °C) and an average winter temperature of 50.6 °F (10.3 °C). No ferries cross Badin Lake. The northernmost point of Morrow Mountain State Park is roughly 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream from Narrows Dam. The lake lies within Stanly, Davidson, Montgomery, and Rowan counties. Much of the lake's eastern shoreline lies within the Uwharrie National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Rock Lake</span> Lake in North Carolina, United States

High Rock Lake is a reservoir located on the Yadkin River in central North Carolina in the counties of Davidson and Rowan. Built in 1926-27 by the Tallassee Power Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), the lake is the northernmost of a series of four hydroelectric projects designed at the time to support the company’s Badin Works, a large aluminum smelting operation located 16 miles downstream in the community of Badin. After the permanent closing of the Badin Works in 2007, Alcoa continued to operate its Yadkin hydroelectric facilities until selling them to Cube Hydro Carolinas in 2016. 

Blewett Falls Lake is a reservoir located in Anson and Richmond counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. No bridges span the lake. It is a major lake in the Uwharrie Lakes Region and the southernmost and widest body in this chain of lakes. Created by the damming of the Great Pee Dee River, the lake occupies the former Blewett Falls on that river, which were named after an early local family. The lake was created for hydropower in the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uwharrie National Forest</span> National forest in the U.S. state of North Carolina

Uwharrie National Forest is a federally designated national forest region located primarily in Montgomery County, but also extending into Randolph and Davidson counties in south central North Carolina. It is the smallest of the four National Forests in North Carolina, with a total area of 50,645 acres (204.95 km2). About 79% of its acreage is in Montgomery County. The forest is managed together with the other three North Carolina National Forests from common headquarters in Asheville, North Carolina. However, it does have a local ranger district office in Troy, North Carolina. There is one officially designated wilderness area within the forest—the 5,025-acre (20.34 km²) Birkhead Mountains Wilderness.

Falls Reservoir is part of the Yadkin River Project in North Carolina and managed by Alcoa as part of their hydroelectric business. It is the last of four reservoirs along a 38-mile (61 km) stretch of the Yadkin River. Falls Reservoir is the smallest of the four reservoirs and covers 204 acres (0.83 km2) and has a shoreline length of 6 miles (9.7 km). The hydroelectric operation was sold to Cube Hydro Carolinas in February 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yadkin–Pee Dee River Basin</span>

The Yadkin–Pee Dee River Basin is a large river basin in the eastern United States, covering around 7,221 square miles, making it the second largest in the state of North Carolina. Its headwaters rise near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and the basin drains to the Atlantic Ocean in Winyah Bay, east of Georgetown, South Carolina.

Alcoa Power Generating, Inc. is a subsidiary of Alcoa Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its three divisions were independent subsidiaries before being consolidated into Alcoa Power Generating, Inc. (APGI). These three projects have produced hydroelectric power and manage impoundments which also provide flood control; recreation, residential and business opportunities; and wildlife habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Highway 731</span> State highway in North Carolina, US

North Carolina Highway 731 (NC 731) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The highway serves as the main thoroughfare in southern Montgomery County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James B. Garrison Bridge</span> Bridge in Stanly and Montgomery Counties

The James B. Garrison Bridge are two automobile bridges spanning the Pee Dee River/Lake Tillery, between Stanly and Montgomery Counties. The bridges carry NC 24/NC 27/NC 73.

References

  1. Shoreline data from the 2011 Lake Tillery Shoreline Management Plan by Progress Energy Carolinas, Inc.
  2. Tillery Hydroelectric Plant Archived 2013-01-28 at the Wayback Machine . Duke Energy. Retrieved on 2013-04-28.
  3. Southern Environmental Law Center » Newsroom » 04 11 Pee Dee Certification Archived 2011-01-05 at the Wayback Machine . Southernenvironment.org (2008-04-11). Retrieved on 2013-04-28.