Harris Lake is a reservoir

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...

 in New Hill, North Carolina

New Hill, North Carolina

New Hill is an unincorporated community located in southwestern Wake County, North Carolina, at the crossroads of old U.S. 1, New Hill-Olive Chapel Road and New Hill-Holleman Road...

, part of the Research Triangle region of central North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 near Cary, NC and Apex, NC. Covering 4,100 acres (17 km²) in southwestern Wake County

Wake County, North Carolina

Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...

 and southeastern Chatham County

Chatham County, North Carolina

Chatham County is a county located in the Piedmont area of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 49,329. Its county seat is Pittsboro.-History:...

, it serves primarily as the source and outlet of cooling water for Progress Energy's Shearon Harris nuclear power plant

Shearon Harris nuclear power plant

The Shearon Harris Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant with a single Westinghouse designed pressurized-water nuclear reactor operated by Progress Energy. It was named in honor of W. Shearon Harris, former president of Carolina Power & Light...

. The lake is also the site of a Wake County Park. The lake is adjacent but not connected to B. Everett Jordan Lake. It was created by impounding Buckhorn Creek. There are two public boat ramps on the lake. One is at the south end off North Carolina Highway 42 and the other near the northern end by Avent Ferry Road.