Cheat Lake
Encyclopedia
Cheat Lake is a 13 miles (20.9 km) long reservoir
on the Cheat River
in Monongalia County
, West Virginia
, USA. It was originally named Lake Lynn, but the Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Cheat Lake as the reservoir's name in 1976. The surface area of Cheat Lake is about 1730 acres (7 km²). It is located immediately downstream of the 10-mile long Cheat Canyon
.
Cheat Lake has 3 marinas located towards the river end of the reservoir. They are Edgewater Marina, Lakeside Marina and Sunset Beach Marina.
Cheat Lake Dam is located directly south of the Mason-Dixon Line
border with Pennsylvania
. The dam is run by eleven employees and has a generating capacity of 52 MW. Cheat Lake Dam's total length across the Cheat River is approximately 1,000 feet (305 m). The first water flowed over the dam on December 23, 1925 and it began its operation on May 31, 1926.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
on the Cheat River
Cheat River
The Cheat River is a tributary of the Monongahela River in eastern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Via the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed, ultimately draining into the Gulf of Mexico.-Geography:The Cheat is formed at...
in Monongalia County
Monongalia County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 81,866 people, 33,446 households, and 18,495 families residing in the county. The population density was 227 people per square mile . There were 36,695 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, USA. It was originally named Lake Lynn, but the Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Cheat Lake as the reservoir's name in 1976. The surface area of Cheat Lake is about 1730 acres (7 km²). It is located immediately downstream of the 10-mile long Cheat Canyon
Cheat Canyon
Cheat Canyon — also called Cheat River Canyon or Cheat River Gorge — is a 10-mile long, forested canyon of the Cheat River at the western edge of the Allegheny Mountains in northeastern West Virginia, USA...
.
Cheat Lake has 3 marinas located towards the river end of the reservoir. They are Edgewater Marina, Lakeside Marina and Sunset Beach Marina.
Cheat Lake Dam is located directly south of the Mason-Dixon Line
Mason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
border with Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The dam is run by eleven employees and has a generating capacity of 52 MW. Cheat Lake Dam's total length across the Cheat River is approximately 1,000 feet (305 m). The first water flowed over the dam on December 23, 1925 and it began its operation on May 31, 1926.
See also
- Mont Chateau State ParkMont Chateau State ParkMont Chateau State Park was formerly a state park located beside Cheat Lake in Monongalia County, West Virginia, USA.-Commissioning and operations:...
, former state park adjoining the lake - Coopers Rock State ForestCoopers Rock State ForestCoopers Rock State Forest is a state forest in Monongalia and Preston counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Its southern edge abuts Cheat Lake and the canyon section of Cheat River, a popular whitewater rafting river in the eastern US.-History:...