East Lynn Lake
Encyclopedia
East Lynn Lake is a 1005 acres (4 km²) reservoir
on the East Fork Twelvepole Creek
in Wayne County
, West Virginia
. The lake is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington
District, as part of a series of flood control
projects for the Ohio River
basin.
Construction of the lake resulted in the destruction of the town of Stiltner
at the mouth of Brush Creek. It also required the relocation of a large stretch of West Virginia Route 37, which formerly followed the East Fork Twelvepole Creek valley that was inundated by the lake.
and other non-native species. The lake is regularly stocked by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
, which manages the lake and surrounding land as East Lynn Lake Wildlife Management Area.
The lake has both wake-permitted and no wake zones, which makes it popular for both fishing and water skiing. The Army Corps of Engineers maintains several recreational areas including a campground at the lake. There is also a marina near the dam.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
on the East Fork Twelvepole Creek
Twelvepole Creek
Twelvepole Creek is a river located in Wayne County, West Virginia. It is part of the Mississippi River watershed, by way of the Ohio River.-Course:...
in Wayne County
Wayne County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 42,903 people, 17,239 households, and 12,653 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 19,107 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. The lake is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
District, as part of a series of flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
projects for the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
basin.
History
East Lynn Lake was originally authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1938 following the devastating Flood of 1937. Like many other projects authorized in this era, construction did not actually take place until much later. Construction occurred about 1969-1970 with the intended purposes of flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife management. East Lynn Lake was established as the project's official name in 1971.Construction of the lake resulted in the destruction of the town of Stiltner
Stiltner, West Virginia
Stiltner was a small unincorporated community that developed at the mouth of Brush Creek, a tributary of Twelvepole Creek, in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States. The community was originally known as Fry because of its association with the Fry family, but the name was changed to Stiltner...
at the mouth of Brush Creek. It also required the relocation of a large stretch of West Virginia Route 37, which formerly followed the East Fork Twelvepole Creek valley that was inundated by the lake.
Today
East Lynn Lake is home to 29 species of fish indigenous to southern West Virginia as well as carpCarp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
and other non-native species. The lake is regularly stocked by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of West Virginia. While formerly known as the cabinet-level Department of Natural Resources, it is now part of the West Virginia Department of Commerce...
, which manages the lake and surrounding land as East Lynn Lake Wildlife Management Area.
The lake has both wake-permitted and no wake zones, which makes it popular for both fishing and water skiing. The Army Corps of Engineers maintains several recreational areas including a campground at the lake. There is also a marina near the dam.