Lake Santeetlah
Encyclopedia
Lake Santeetlah, part of the Tennessee River
watershed
, was created in 1928 when Alcoa
dammed the Cheoah River
as a means of generating hydroelectric power in Graham County, North Carolina
. The reservoir
is largely surrounded by the Cheoah District of the Nantahala National Forest
. During the last decades of the twentieth century non-public lands were developed as scenic residences and vacation homes, most notably in the area now incorporated as the town of Lake Santeetlah
.
Although the area below the highwater mark continues to be managed by Alcoa, approximately 80% of the surrounding land is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service
, which provides swimming, camping, picnicking, fishing and boating facilities. Lake Santeetlah has 76 miles of shore line and is home to a variety of trout
, muskie
, crappie
, and bass
. Of special note is the adjoining Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, which was set aside in 1936 as a memorial to poet-soldier Joyce Kilmer
, and is perhaps "the most impressive example of original, old growth forest
" in the eastern United States.
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, was created in 1928 when Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
dammed the Cheoah River
Cheoah River
The Cheoah River is a tributary of the Little Tennessee River in North Carolina in the United States.It is located in Graham County in far western North Carolina, near Robbinsville, and is approximately 20 miles in length...
as a means of generating hydroelectric power in Graham County, North Carolina
Graham County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,993 people, 3,354 households, and 2,411 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 5,084 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
. The reservoir
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...
is largely surrounded by the Cheoah District of the Nantahala National Forest
Nantahala National Forest
The Nantahala National Forest, established in 1920, is a national forest located in the American state of North Carolina. The word "Nantahala" is a Cherokee word meaning "Land of the Noonday Sun." The name is appropriate as, in some spots, the sun only reaches the floors of the deep gorges of the...
. During the last decades of the twentieth century non-public lands were developed as scenic residences and vacation homes, most notably in the area now incorporated as the town of Lake Santeetlah
Lake Santeetlah, North Carolina
Lake Santeetlah is a town in Graham County, North Carolina, United States, six miles north of Robbinsville and within fifteen miles of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a peninsula surrounded by Lake Santeetlah—which in turn is largely surrounded by Nantahala National Forest...
.
Although the area below the highwater mark continues to be managed by Alcoa, approximately 80% of the surrounding land is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
, which provides swimming, camping, picnicking, fishing and boating facilities. Lake Santeetlah has 76 miles of shore line and is home to a variety of trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, muskie
Muskie
Muskie may refer to:*Ed Muskie, American politician*Muskellunge, freshwater fish native to North America...
, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
, and bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
. Of special note is the adjoining Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, which was set aside in 1936 as a memorial to poet-soldier Joyce Kilmer
Joyce Kilmer
Alfred Joyce Kilmer was an American journalist, poet, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. Though a prolific poet whose works celebrated the common beauty of the natural world as well as his religious faith, Kilmer is remembered most for a short poem entitled "Trees" , which was published in...
, and is perhaps "the most impressive example of original, old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
" in the eastern United States.