Jordan Lake

By: Heather Leigh Wallace

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Synopsis: In 1945, Hurricane 9 rocked the Carolinas, severely flooding and incapacitating the New Hope Valley area. As a result, Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study water resource needs in the area. Originally named the New Hope Project, it received funding in 1963, and construction began in 1967. In 1974, after lake supporter Sen. B. Everett Jordan passed away, the lake and dam were renamed in his honor. The senator never saw the lake finished, as it was not filled until 1982. Jordan Lake encompasses 46,768 acres of which 13,900 acres are flooded to form a reservoir at 216 feet above mean sea level. The lake provides recreation, wildlife conservation, and water supply to surrounding cities. Jordan Lake also attracts one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in the southeast. With photographs from the flood of 1945 to a group baptism in 2007, these stories and more will make you want to spend an afternoon at Jordan Lake.