Nicholas County is home to West Virginia's largest
lake! Including over 2,800 acres of water and 60 miles of shoreline,
Summersville Lake provides recreational adventure for everyone
from weekend vacationers to outdoor extremists.
Formed by
the Gauley River watershed, the crystal clear mountain water is
ideal for swimming, fishing and scuba diving. Much of its shore
is lined with towering rock cliffs which offer scenic vistas and
some of the most accessible and challenging rock climbing in the
United States.
A
wildlife management area surrounds the lake. It contains hundreds
of miles of trails available for mountain biking and hiking.
History
of Summersville Dam
Summersville
Lake, located just of Rt. 19, in Nicholas County, West Virginia,
is the second largest rock fill dam in the Eastern United States.
Since the dam’s dedication by Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966,
millions of local residents and visitors have enjoyed the largest
lake in West Virginia as well as the surrounding wildlife management
lands. Visitors continue to be awed by the clarity of the lake
and the surrounding majestic sandstone cliffs. Over 2,700 surface
acres of water and 60 miles of shoreline provide a large assortment
of outdoor activities. The Army Corps of Engineers and the Department
of Natural resources provide visitors with access to modern campgrounds,
scuba diving, hiking, climbing, rappelling, bouldering, boating,
mountain biking, and swimming.
Construction
of the dam began in February 1960 and work was completed in May
of 1966. Western Construction of Sioux City, Iowa built the rock
fill dam with clay center for the Army Corps of Engineers at a
cost of $48,075,800. The Army Corps’ desire was to build
a dam that would: reduce flood damage, augment low water flow,
provide recreation, and enable fish and wildlife management. Traditionally,
the dam is usually named after the closest town. In this case,
however, the town of Gad was closest and purposefully flooded
for construction. Local residents were averse to naming the dam
“Gad dam” and instead opted to name the dam after
the town of Summerville. On September 3, 1966, President Lyndon
B. Johnson presided over the dedication of the dam. He spoke briefly
of his gratefulness and appreciation of those government officials
in attendance. He stated the dam’s completion was made possible
by Senator Randolph, Chairman of the Committee on Public Works
and Senator Byrd, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Also in attendance were: West Virginia Governor Hulett Smith;
Secretary of State, Bob Bailey; the Governor of Delaware, Charles
Terry; and numerous District Representatives including, Harley
Staggers, Arch Moore, Jr., Ken Hechler, and James Kee. President
Johnson remarked the dam completed a three reservoir system of
the Kanawha River Basin and “In a sense, the whole story
of man is revealed in his search for dependable water supplies.
Where there has been too little, wars have been fought over what
there was. Where there has been too much, great cities and flourishing
agricultures have been engulfed and destroyed. Where there was
enough--and where people could depend upon it and where the people
could control it--civilization has blossomed and has endured.”
In March of 1966, seven months after the dedication, winter storms
threatened the dam. However, the dam’s effectiveness was
proven as 360 feet of water were held back and only two feet of
water ran through the spillway at Battle Run. Possible destruction
was also diverted by the dam during the floods of July, 2001.
Through 2002, the Corps of Engineers estimated the prevention
of flood damage has saved over $407,400,000. Resevoir releases
are maintained by a minimum release of 100 cubic feet per second
and a maximum of 18,000 cubic feet per second along with a flood
pool. The dam has a base thickness of 1400 feet and a top elevation
of 1,738 feet. Water levels and the flood pool reservoir fluctuate
during the winter and summer months. Summer offers the greatest
availability of 1,652 lake feet, 13.7 miles of shoreline, 2,790
surface acres of water.
Fishing
Summersville Lake is one of the best small and largemouth bass
fishing lakes in the state of West Virginia. The lake is also
stocked at the tailwater, bi-weekly, in the fall, with trout.
The assortment of fish which include; walleye, bluegill, an occasional
rainbow trout, crappie and channel catfish, as well as the 30-50
feet water depth, with buoys marking fish attractors make this
lake optimal for fishing with the entire family. Night fishing
and using minnows for bait is permitted. When fishing for Walleye,
bottom bouncing night crawlers, crank baits, or trolling is recommended.
Catfish pursue chicken livers and bass tend to prefer plastic
bait or top water plugs. On the lake, there is unlimited horse
power with no wake zones and speed zones.
Boating
related activities
Boating activities are also popular on Summersville Lake due to
the clarity of water and the 68-80 degree water temperatures during
June-September. Waterskiing and knee boarding are favorite activities
and boats may be rented at the lake. Many groups of friends and
families also simply spend the day relaxing, talking, swimming,
and exploring the shoreline in search of the best swimming hole.
Some great places for cliff jumping and swimming are Long Point,
Whippoorwill cliffs, and Waterfall cliffs. Scuba diving and snorkeling
are also very popular in this oligotrophic lake. Bubbles Cove
and Long Point are favorite spots to snorkel and scuba in what
Skin Diver magazine refers to as “The Little Bahamas of
the east.” At Long Point, the area is roped off just for
access by scuba divers, snorklers, and swimmers. Visibility and
water temperature are optimum for diving between 35-45 feet. While
diving, cliffs which exist about 100 feet below the surface, rock
walls and overhangs may be seen.
Land
activities
Along with the numerous water activities, many visitors choose
to also take advantage of the more than 9,000 acres of land surrounding
Summersville Lake. Hiking and biking trails link and provide opportunities
to all levels of enthusiasts as well as wonderful wildlife viewing.
With over 100 different climbs, climbing and bouldering are popular
among visitors. Satisfaction Area, Rats Hole, Jeff’s Bunny
Hop, That Eight, and Hippie Dreams are some favorite spots among
climbers. For those who boulder, in the fall and spring water
levels recede and expose many boulders such as those in Pirates
Cove. Currently, there are close to 6,000 acres available for
hunting deer, turkey, squirrel, and grouse.
Camping
Summersville Lake has over 60 acres and 117 spots of camping available
in meadowland and woodland forests. RV and Pop Up sites are available
in addition to tent sites in the meadows of the woodland. Here,
at the campground, visitors have access to the swimming beach,
picnic areas, shelters, sand volleyball, shower houses and restrooms,
as well as horseshoe pits. A frame chalets made of virgin hemlock
with gas grills are also available. There is also a handicap accessible
pier. Kayaks, canoes, bass and pontoon boats are available for
rent.
