Overview
Lake Norman is a man-made lake in northern Mecklenburg County. In 1957, a man named James B. Duke pursued a way to make energy by damming the Catawba River at historic Cowan’s Ford. Construction of the dam and hydroelectric plant began in 1959. Farms and mills were flooded and Lake Norman was filled by 1963. The lake was named after Duke Power President, Norman Cocke. Over time, two power stations were created – McGuire Nuclear Station at Cowans Ford and Marshall Steam Station, on the northern part of Lake Norman.
Since then, the towns of Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville, and Mooresville have seen tremendous growth and expansion. Visual timeline from Currents Magazine
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