Lake Junaluska Homes: The 1913 Dam, Dredging and Rules

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  October 22, 2026

When the Second General Missionary Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South convened at Lake Junaluska on June 25, 1913, 4,000 people attended. There were only 13 houses and no hotel until 1914, so they had to stay elsewhere. The new lake was still being filled after the damming of Richland Creek.

More than a century later, the Assembly issued a request for proposals in May 2026 for engineering services to repair that same dam, and sediment carried into the lake from Richland Creek is periodically removed. Here is how the place works.

How a Methodist Dream Became a Mountain Lake

The idea started with two Methodist pastors, James Atkins and George R. Stuart. They believed the Southeastern United States needed a place comparable to Chautauqua Lake in New York and Winona Lake in Indiana. Atkins contacted Stuart in April 1908 while attending a missionary conference in Chattanooga, where Stuart was a pastor.

The Southern Assembly bought 1,200 acres, and the dam on Richland Creek was built between 1911 and 1913. That 1913 conference met in a new auditorium named for Stuart. Stuart Auditorium hosts musical events including Folkmoot USA programs and Appalachian bluegrass concerts, and the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival is held at Lake Junaluska. The first hotel, the Auditorium Hotel, was built across from the auditorium in 1914 and burned in 1920.

The Southeastern Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church became the owner in 1948, and Lake Junaluska Assembly Inc. has been tax-exempt since 1959. The World Methodist Council moved its headquarters here in the 1950s, then in spring 2021 sold its headquarters building, including a museum, to the Assembly for $1.25 million and moved to offices in nearby Waynesville. Work began in 2022 on a $2.5 million renovation of the building, named the Warren Center, and the first event was held there in June 2024.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Junaluska,_North_Carolina

Who Owns the Lake

The Lake Junaluska Assembly Board of Directors owns the conference and retreat center, the lake and the dam, and the recreational facilities. The board also acts as the community's "de facto government."

Financial support from the United Methodist Church lasted nearly 100 years, but that support ended and the Assembly became more of a business. Maintenance of the public areas around the lake and the dam is funded primarily through charitable giving and proceeds from lodging guests. In 2010, Smoky Mountain News reported that the conference and retreat center attracted 100,000 people each year for dozens of conventions.

Recreation includes a 2.3-mile paved walking trail and an extended 3.8-mile walking trail around the lake, an 18-hole golf course, pickleball and tennis courts, and a lakeside swimming pool. The Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are both nearby.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Junaluska,_North_Carolina and https://smokymountainnews.com/archived/archived-news/digging-out-lake-junaluska-again/

The Mud Problem and the Drawdown Cycle

Richland Creek is the lake's primary source of water, and sediment is carried into the lake from the creek. The color of the creek during a heavy rain shows the mud and erosion making its way into the water. "When it hits the lake it slows and the silt settles out," Jimmy Carr, executive director of Lake Junaluska, told Smoky Mountain News in 2010.

That September 2010 article reported that when the first "big dig" was undertaken at the beginning of the preceding decade, sediment around the mouth of Richland Creek was a mere four to eight inches from the lake's surface. "At that point we were in danger of losing that whole west end of the lake," Carr said. According to the article, there had been four digs over the past decade, costing $1.7 million, with $1.2 million from state and federal grants and $500,000 from the Assembly.

To set the stage for periodic clean-outs, the lake bottom was reshaped near the creek mouth to confine sediment into one area for bulldozer operators, and the Assembly put in place a plan of smaller digs every other year. "The problem will never be solved. What we are trying to do is get it so it is manageable," said Buddy Young, director of residential services with the Assembly.

In December 2022, officials said a new dredging operation would begin soon after Christmas, with water levels lowered slowly to allow fish and other wildlife to adapt. Executive director Ken Howle said dredging would begin after the lake dropped about 10 to 15 feet and would be ongoing throughout January and February, depending on weather conditions, with a goal of completing it by Easter. The lake was to be closed to boating while the walking trail remained open, and the project would also allow maintenance of docks, culverts, and utility lines.

Lower water levels expose a ring of mud around the shore in the main part of the lake and a mudflat in shallower areas. In 2010, the Assembly's marketing director said that while a lot of locals understand it is a regular thing, for visitors it is the No. 1 question during a drawdown.

Sources: https://smokymountainnews.com/archived/archived-news/digging-out-lake-junaluska-again/ and https://wlos.com/news/local/lake-junaluska-slow-dredging-operation-drawdown-start-soon-after-christmas-last-several-months-easter-maintenance-docks-culverts-utility-lines-wildlife-adapt

Helene and the Dam Repair Work

After Hurricane Helene, state DEMLR staff inspected more than 400 dams across mountain communities. In February 2026, the NC Department of Environmental Quality announced more than $7.3 million in grants to support repairs for several high-hazard dams damaged in the storm. The awards included $178,875 for Lake Junaluska Dam (Powerhouse) and $19,400 for Lake Junaluska Dam (Wingwall).

Separately, the Assembly issued a request for proposals in May 2026 for engineering services to repair the dam, with an engineering budget not to exceed $190,000. According to the RFP, North Carolina dam safety inspections identified several areas requiring immediate attention, as outlined in a recent inspection report dated December 2025. Conditions identified during the most recent inspection, including items in the Dam Safety Office's Notice of Deficiency, include small areas of exposed reinforcing steel, the valve in Bay 3, and two penetrations through the original dam face introduced during 1977 construction. The Notice of Deficiency also identified seepage downstream of the right end of the dam. The selected firm is also to assess minor seepage observed along the dam face and evaluate the probable causes of concrete spalling.

The dam is a composite structure: a 300-foot-long embankment section and a 550-foot-long concrete slab-and-buttress section that includes a 220-foot-wide ogee spillway, with a roadway atop both. The concrete structure has undergone only major improvements in 1977 and 2004. The three bottom outlet valves are original 1913 slide gates, with significant leakage around one or more gates and through the control-rod penetrations, and they lack trash racks, creating a risk that submerged logs or other debris may impair valve operation. The valves are used for cold-water release during summer months in accordance with permit requirements.

The scope includes a design package for repairing and resurfacing the downstream face, anticipated to include Gunite or dry-mix shotcrete; recommendations for renewal or replacement of the bottom outlet valves, with materials selected for a service life of not less than 75 years; and a survey of critical dam dimensions, including the spillway crest. All activities must be complete by March 6, 2027.

Sources: https://www.deq.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2026/02/13/deq-awards-73-million-helene-damaged-dam-repairs-opens-second-application-period and https://lakejunaluska.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Dam-Repair-RFP.pdf

The Rules on Boats, Docks, and Daily Life

No gas or diesel boats are allowed on the lake except those operated or permitted by the Assembly, and no watercraft may go faster than 5 mph. Water sports include canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing.

The Assembly owns, maintains, and controls every dock in or on the lake, and no new private docks will be approved.

A few other rules: no public consumption of alcohol on Assembly-owned property, no feeding waterfowl or other wildlife except by authorized personnel, drones only with written permission from each property owner they fly over, and leashes no longer than six feet. The board reviews, updates, and approves the rules every two years.

Sources: https://lakejunaluskacommunity.org/lja-rules-and-regulations and https://lakejunaluskacommunity.org/home-buying-selling-and-renting-at-lake-junaluska

Service Charges

All Lake Junaluska property owners pay an annual service charge to cover services provided by Assembly Public Works. The 2026 rate is $0.482 per $100 of Haywood County tax value.

The expenses covered may include security protection, street maintenance and lighting, drainage maintenance, bulk and green waste collection, and Public Works administration. Bills go out in November and are due January 31, with a one-time 10% late charge on March 1 after a 30-day grace period. For accounts two or more years overdue, a lien is filed with Haywood County.

Sources: https://lakejunaluskacommunity.org/service-charges and https://lakejunaluskacommunity.org/lja-rules-and-regulations

Buying a Home at Lake Junaluska

All property within the Assembly's approximately 5.8 square miles carries deed covenants giving the board the right to enforce regulations and the right of first refusal on all property sales. Letters waiving the right of first refusal and detailing any outstanding fees must be requested from the Assembly Public Works Office before closing. Public Works also requests a copy of the sales contract and a signature on the current rules.

Aldersgate, Hickory Hills, Lakemont condos, and Tri-Vista condos require signatures on more specific agreements.

Planning to build or renovate? Notice to Proceed documentation must be acquired from Public Works before Haywood County issues a building permit. Impact fees are $0.35 per square foot of heated space, $0.25 for unheated covered space, and $0.20 for uncovered space, plus $600 each for water and sewer taps. Manufactured homes may not permanently remain on Assembly property; under the rules, a "manufactured home" does not include a modular home designed to meet the North Carolina State Building Code and placed on a permanent foundation. Each new dwelling must have at least two parking spaces on the property.

Short-term rentals must comply with county and state ordinances regarding taxes and health inspection, and owners are responsible for seeing that tenants follow the rules. For short-term rentals, Public Works strongly encourages using the Lake Junaluska Vacation Rental office for local, on-site management.

Sources: https://lakejunaluskacommunity.org/home-buying-selling-and-renting-at-lake-junaluska, https://lakejunaluskacommunity.org/lja-rules-and-regulations and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Junaluska,_North_Carolina

The Lake Junaluska Market Right Now

As of October 22, 2026, there were 9 active listings for properties with a Lake Junaluska address, priced from $315,000 to $850,000 with a middle price around $450,000. The mix: 7 single-family homes, 2 condos.

Keep Exploring

To see what is on the market around Lake Junaluska today, browse Lake Junaluska area homes for sale. For the towns nearby, start with Waynesville homes for sale. The wider Haywood County listings cover the rest of the county.

You may also like more on the area and this related story.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use a motorboat on Lake Junaluska?

Not a gas or diesel one, unless it is operated or permitted by the Assembly. Under the Lake Junaluska Assembly rules, no boats using gasoline or diesel are allowed except boats operated or permitted by the Assembly, and no watercraft may exceed 5 mph. Water sports include canoeing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing.

Can I build a private dock at Lake Junaluska?

No. All docks in or on the lake are owned, maintained, and controlled by Lake Junaluska Assembly, and the Assembly's rules state that no new private docks will be approved.

How much are Lake Junaluska service charges?

The 2026 rate is $0.482 per $100 of Haywood County tax value. Bills go out in November, payment is due January 31, and after a 30-day grace period a one-time 10% late charge applies March 1 to unpaid accounts.