WELCOME TO HYCO LAKE, NC 

General/History          

Hicotaminy  is what the native Indians called the area which means "great turkey buzzard".  Seems the turkey buzzards have been around a long time since we still see them daily at Hyco as we now call it. 

Hyco Lake (also known as Carolina Power Lake) was constructed in the early 60's by Carolina Power and Light Company (now Duke Energy) as a cooling reservoir for their steam electric generating plant. Hyco Lake is located in Person County, NC 10 miles west of Roxboro, NC on NC Highway 57. Since its establishment, the lake and its recreation park has been under the jurisdiction of the Person-Caswell Lake Authority which is responsible for governing and developing the recreation potential of the lake and park. The water is regulated by the N.C. Natural Resources. Duke Energy owns the land the lake is contained by and up to the 420' mark which is approx 10' above normal water level.
The lake covers 3,750 acres (25 billion gallons of water!) with 120 miles of shoreline. The lake was filled in the Spring of 65 after Hurricane Hilda dumped her bounty and has provided exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities which continue to delight residents and visitors alike. The lake was constructed on the Hyco River and has 3 main tributaries, North Hyco Creek, South Hyco Creek and Cobbs Creek.

Over 1600 homes have been constructed around the lake with approximately 800 being occupied year round.

North Carolina General Assembly - 1965 Session - Establishment of the Person-Caswell Lake Authority

Read the full bill establishing the guidelines that the PCLA operates under.  (Click here) The basic parties that are involved with the lake are: North Carolina Department of Environmental Management - Water Quality Division, N.C. Wildlife Commission, Duke Energy and Person-Caswell Lake Authority.  Duke Energy purchased the land and impounded the water so Duke Energy owns the land under the water and up to the 420' mark.  The NCDEM basically owns the water in the lake and sets the guidelines that Duke Energy and PCLA have to adhere to.  Failing to adhere to the laws may result in a fine or worse case non-renewal of the operating permit for the lake to Duke Energy.  The PCLA is responsible for the management of the water and lands around the lake.  The NC Wildlife Commission is responsible for the safety, wildlife, game and fish around the lake.  Property owners lease the right to use the water front based on the guidelines established by PCLA.  The PCLA operates under the same public laws as County Commissioners which is General Statute 153-A which can be found at this link: (153-A).

MAYO LAKE - There have been many questions concerning the differences in Hyco and Mayo Lake concerning the boat docks and development of the shore line.  Basically, the NCDEM would only allow Duke Energy to build Mayo Plant if Duke agreed to not allow development of the shore line around Mayo Lake.  The reason being that by impounding the lake, there were several "fur bearing" animals that would be displaced by the water which concerned the NCDEM.  NCDEM required as part of the permit that Duke Energy not allow any disturbance of the land from the water level to the high water mark - no clearing of the land, no planting of grass, no boat docks - nothing could be done to change the landscape.  In fact, the surrounding land owners are suppose to replace any trees, undergrowth, weeds or anything else disturbed even by pathways going to the lake.  The fur-bearing animals are not to be encroached on in any way.  This is a requirement by the NCDEM and Duke Energy is charged with enforcement.  The operating permit and possible fines are a serious concern of Duke Energy.

Irrigation at Hyco Lake

Irrigation from the lake is not allowed.  During the permitting of the lake with NCDEM, it was established that irrigation from mostly nearby tobacco fields is detrimental to the lake by the washing of fertilizer and other chemicals in the lake.  Fertilizer contains phosphate, nitrogen and other minerals that cause algae and other concerns in the lake.  Also, there are additives in fertilizer that may kill the fish.  Of course the other issue is that water consumption by irrigation may deplete the water and cause operating issues at the power plant.  The critical level at the plant is at 10' below normal with some problems occurring as soon as 7' below normal.  Without water, the plant cannot operate which is a huge concern to Duke Energy and their customers.  Water contamination concerns are also the reason toilets are not allowed below the 420' line.

Boating and Swimming 

Newly constructed dual concrete boat ramps offer easy launching from the recreation park located off Kelly Brewer Road. Boardwalks and piers also aid in launching and a graveled parking area is lighted and policed. Boat permits ($50 annual and $15 daily) are required for all boats using the lake. A ski course is located on the north east end of the lake.
The park offers a nice swim area and numerous docks to tie your boat to. The swim area is unattended and closes at sunset. Gate fee to enter the park is $10 per car.

Covered boat/camper storage areas are available.

Camping 

There are 65 camp sites located within the 65 acre recreation park. Each site is located on an access road and has a natural buffer on three sides. A picnic table, charcoal grill, water and electricity are available to each site. The campground has a centralized bath house (very clean) with showers and flush toilets. Playgrounds for the children and tennis courts for the adults are located next to the camp sites. Pets must be leashed. Vending machines are available 24 hours a day April through September. Other food items, fishing supplies, and water front gasoline can be purchased within walking distance of the campground and less than 1 mile from the launch ramps. 

Picnicking 

There are picnic tables and charcoal grills located around the park shoreline. Three large covered shelters with grills are available by reservations made with the Lake Ranger at 336-599-4343. Shelters are available for $35/day with a $35 security deposit 10AM to 9PM. These facilities offer great views of the lake. Don't miss the view from the observation deck! A new community house has been added which is an excellent facility for large meetings and social functions. Kitchen, baths, full decks and HVAC insures your comfort. Rental is $275/day 10AM to 10PM with a $150 refundable deposit if building in cleaned. Holidays are $350/day and $150 refundable deposit if cleaned.  There are also day cabins available for rent on the point at the public access area. Contact the Ranger for rental rates of the cabins and community house.

Fishing 

Fisher people, the park is equipped with an electric gate and access is available 24 hours a day. Fishing on Hyco is great (lots of Bass and Crappie). Numerous fishing tournaments are held throughout the year. The warm water discharged by the power plant insures year round fishing opportunities. 
In the past, there have been some fish that suffered from lower levels of oxygen. This usually happens during July when the sun is the hottest and rain is infrequent. The water stratifies during this time with the hot water rising to the top thus creating a buffer layer. When it rains, the oxygen saturated water falls on top of the hot layer and then travels down to a lower layer thus taking the oxygen down to the fish who have gone deep to seek colder water. Aeration and cooling of the water is beneficial to the fish during these times.

Natural Beauty 

Enjoy the water side view of the many beautiful homes on the lake or find a deserted cove to anchor and relax. Large areas of the shoreline are undeveloped and offer exceptional views throughout the year. Watch for the many deer, beaver, geese, and ducks which make the lake their home. There is also a nature/walking trail located near the ranger's office. The head-end is accessed from the fisherman's parking lot - look for the covered entry point marking the starting point. Many gazebos are located along the path and nature points are marked. 

Lake Level - and Canal System 

There are many misconceptions about how the lake level is controlled and what the canal system function is/was. The lake is impounded by an earthen dam near McGhee's Mill area. There is a concrete spillway that water overflows at elevation 410.5'. This is called normal lake level or "full pond". There are no valves or gates on the main lake that control the level. When there is rain or the incoming creeks provide more water than needed, the water flows over the spillway. The power plant is a closed system so it only uses the lake for make-up water and cooling. The cooling tower vapor you see is water evaporating as the plant steam is condensed back to water. The two systems are separated by a heat exchanger called a condenser. Lake water used for cooling units 1&2 circulate via an intake canal near Whetstone and discharge heated water near the islands where North and South Hyco meet near the plant. There is a Howell-Bunger valve located at the spillway that can allow a small amount of water to by-pass the spillway. This hasn't been opened in years. The Afterbay is located below the main lake and is used to maintain downstream river flow for Hyco River and has 650 acres of surface. The level of the lake declines during the summer due to reduced stream flow coming into the lake, increased evaporation by the plant cooling towers and higher plant load during the summer months - no one is releasing water from the lake during this time. When there is excessive rain, the level rises above normal (410.5') as the water is "bottle-necked" at the spillway. The level will return to normal as soon as the spillway dissipates the water without any human intervention. 
The canal system is no longer used as this was an early attempt to utilize long flow paths to cool the water before it re-entered the plant condensers. This was before the plant had cooling towers and once the cooling towers were added, the canal system was abandoned. Duke Energy is required by regulations to release the water at a minimum rate in cubic feet per minute and within a few degrees of the temperature of the incoming water. This all occurs at the Afterbay. The water temperature discharged by the plant normally gains about 20-25 degrees from the intake point to the discharge point. This is why you can swim early and late in the year near the plant. There is an "inverted siphon" located under the no wake area area where you go from South Hyco near the island. The siphon carried warm water from the canal to Cobb's Creek area but is no longer used. This is why you see a chain link fence atop this rock dam. The water flowed backwards up Cobb's Creek and traveled through the canal near the public area into North Hyco. This caused increased heating of the water and thank goodness is no longer used.

The lake temperature is moderated by the plant resulting in winter water temperatures hovering near 50 degrees at the coldest period.  This results in fishing and some avid wet suit skiing during the winter.

"Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints"