Cheat Lake is a 13-mile-long (21 km) reservoir on the Cheat River in Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States.[2] It was originally named Lake Lynn, but the Board on Geographic Names officially decided upon Cheat Lake as the reservoir's name in 1976.[1] Cheat Lake is located immediately downstream of the 10-mile-long (16 km) Cheat Canyon.
| Cheat Lake | |
|---|---|
| Lake Lynn | |
 Lake Lynn Dam | |
  Cheat Lake | |
| Location | Monongalia, West Virginia |
| Coordinates | 39°43′10″N 79°51′24″W / 39.71944°N 79.85667°W[1] |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Cheat River |
| Managing agency | Lake Lynn Generation, LLC[2] |
| Built | 1925 |
| Max. length | 13 mi (21 km)[2] |
| Surface area | 1,730 acres (700 ha) |
| Surface elevation | 870 ft (270 m)[3] |
| Settlements | Morgantown, West Virginia |
Cheat Lake has 3 marinas located towards the river end of the reservoir. They are Edgewater Marina, Cheat Lake Marina, and Sunset Beach Marina.
Cheat Lake Dam is located directly south of the Mason–Dixon line border with Pennsylvania. The dam is run by eleven employees and has a generating capacity of 52 megawatts (70,000 hp).[2] Cheat Lake Dam's total length across the Cheat River is approximately 1,000 feet (300 m). The first water flowed over the dam on December 23, 1925[2] and it began its operation on May 31, 1926.
See also edit
- Mont Chateau State Park, a former state park (1955–1977) along Cheat Lake
- Coopers Rock State Forest
- Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area
References edit
- ^ a b "Cheat Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. June 27, 1980. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "Cheat Lake Today". Allegheny Energy. Archived from the original on May 7, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- ^ Lake Lynn, Pennsylvania-West Virginia quadrangle (Map). 1:24,000. 7.5-Minute Series (Topographic). U.S. Geological Survey. 1997. ISBN 978-0-607-93808-1.
External links edit
- CheatLake.com Informational website about Cheat Lake and surrounding area. Provides a map of the lake and details about the marinas & restaurants.
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. WV-30, "Lake Lynn Hydroelectric Power House & Dam, Cheat River, Morgantown vicinity, Monongalia County, WV", 58 photos, 7 data pages, 3 photo caption pages
