Located in Iredell County, 15 miles north of Charlotte, Lake Norman State Park boasts the region's popular mountain biking trail system.

"[11] Although Duke Energy claims to the contrary, coal ash contamination from the power company continues to be a major concern to residents around the lake.

These reports, along with routine updates from Duke Energy, will help researchers to continue to document and monitor the water quality of Lake Norman in the future.

[citation needed] North Carolina's Piedmont is a region of high biodiversity, and Lake Norman is important for its diversity of birds, fish, mammals and plants.

[19] The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) introduced the striped bass in 1969 because they were once the dominant open water fish in Lake Norman.

[20] The basin is also home to a large variety of animal residents, many of them unique and rare to the Piedmont area and which thrive off of the resources provided by Lake Norman.

However, one must be aware of the presence of the venomous Eastern copperhead, which can severely harm a human with a single bite[21] Birds and waterfowl are also important ecological actors that contribute to the overall health and balance of the Lake Norman ecosystem.

Belonging to the genus Carpinus L. and native to North Carolina, it is a type of beech tree known for its heavy and hard wood, resulting in the name ironwood.

Lake Norman and the surrounding shoreline serve as a habitat for a diverse array of plants and wildlife, as well as a place for a myriad of human activities.

[30] The Catawba River has long been a part of the historical narrative of settlers, as its presence provided sites with water and key cartographic information for traveling.

Figure 1 illustrates a map drawn in 1775 by Henry Mouzon of North and South Carolina, in which the Catawba River and other natural features are detailed in full.

The 18th century map's cartographer took painstaking effort in accurately portraying the topographic facets of the landscape, while maintaining an overarching emphasis on the counties, towns, and indigenous frontiers throughout.

Although the process of removal had begun earlier, emphasized in the 1700s with the rise of slavery and cotton agriculture, the 1840 Nations Ford Treaty ceded Catawba land to South Carolina and provided in return "three hundred acres of which is to be good arable lands, fit for cultivation, to be purchased in Haywood County, North Carolina, or in some other mountainous or thinly populated region.

Considering the long-time historical presence of the Catawba, it follows that some pieces of their material culture would exist underneath the now flooded region of Lake Norman.

[37] Similar places and archaeological remains likely exist beneath the waves of the lake, sitting alongside the farmlands, cemeteries, and other physical remnants predating the 1960s.

[38] Over the course of the twentieth century, public and private entities across the U.S. South sought water management solutions for two primary purposes: environmental control—limiting flooding and drought—and electric power production.

"[41] In the article announcing the company's plan, the Charlotte Observer framed the infrastructure project largely in terms of hydroelectric power and recreation opportunities, declaring that the dam would create "a whopping charge of electrical energy for Duke and a new sportsman's playground for water-wacky Carolinians.

"[41] In a 1959 meeting at the Statesville Kiwanis Club, Duke Energy representative Bill Ward explained that the primary motivation behind the construction of the Cowan's Ford Dam was to provide "power for peak load periods.

"[40] Unlike the steam-generated power plants Duke had already constructed in the area, the Cowan's Ford Dam would include "water-driven turbines" that could easily be started and stopped to control energy generation.

[40] The creation of the dam was therefore an opportunity for Duke Energy to increase its market share in the textile industry, which was transitioning production from "steam-generated power to electricity.

While these plans provided future economic stimulus for the surrounding area, they also marked a distinct shift from the industry and communities that were currently residing in the path of the impending flood.

[40] The local newspaper record from the late 1950s and early 1960s showed little concern for the land and communities that would be flooded and displaced due to the creation of Lake Norman.

[44] Because Lake Norman was anticipated to be relatively shallow, Duke had to "scrub the land clean of trees, homes, and other debris" to "remove underwater hazards."

A number of farmers benefited by holding on to what would soon become expensive lakefront property, while other residents refused to sell to Duke Energy and as a result leased their water rights to the company.

Game fish in Lake Norman include catfish, crappie, bluegill and yellow perch, as well as striped, largemouth, spotted, white bass hybrids, and long-nosed gar.

[49] Under his leadership, Duke Energy representatives spent a great deal of time planning the new lake, convincing locals to leave the future lakebed, and working with state officials to get support for the project.

[52] The comic created by Al Capp, featured a tall, voluptuous naïve mountain girl who was raised hidden from The comparison is due to her beauty and also the perception they had of her as a country bumpkin.

[77] The creation of the lake and the flooding of several "farm-to-market roads" disconnected many previously established communities in Mecklenburg, Iredell, Lincoln, and Catawba counties from one another.

The completion of the interstate in 1975 also created an avenue for growth within the surrounding Lake Norman cities shown as housing developments, restaurants, and stores began to grow within the space.

[83] With the construction of Interstate 77 in the mid 1970s, Lake Norman became highly accessible to residents of Charlotte, causing an influx of homes, restaurants, golf courses, and various recreational facilities to flood the region.