Lake Summit in Tuxedo, NC: The 1920 Dam and Helene

By Jon Tharp, Broker  ·  October 22, 2026

For over 100 years, the Tuxedo hydroelectric station regulated the flow of the Green River below Lake Summit. Before the storm, according to local outfitter Tim Bell, its turbines started up every morning at 7 a.m. and released 200 cubic feet of water per second until 1 p.m. Then a landslide during Tropical Storm Helene practically demolished the station. The plant lost the equipment that had let it manage the lake's water level.

Lake Summit is the largest lake in Henderson County. Two years after the storm, though, the future of its hydro project is unsettled.

A Lake Built for Power

The Blue Ridge Power and Light Company began building the dam on the Green River in 1920 in the Zirconia community. The project was meant to supply power to Henderson County and the Greenville area. The lake it created extends into the Tuxedo community. Before the damming, the land now under the water held a small number of family homes and a gristmill. These were demolished or moved during construction. The land around the lake was then parceled up and sold to families.

In 1921, a bridge was built across the midsection of the lake. In 1983, the state DOT replaced the old truss bridge crossing the river with a new concrete bridge nearby and kept the old bridge as a walking path.

The dam is 129 feet tall and 254 feet long. Sources give different sizes for the lake. The National Inventory of Dams and the Hendersonville Lightning list 290 acres. Wikipedia gives 324 acres in its text and a different figure in its infobox. Wikipedia lists an average depth of 20 feet and a maximum of 107 feet.

The National Inventory of Dams gives the dam a high hazard classification. That rating means failure or mis-operation would probably cause loss of human life, and it is listed separately from the dam's condition. The dam is listed in satisfactory condition, and its last inspection was in April 2018.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Summit,_North_Carolina, https://snoflo.org/reservoir/north-carolina/nc00311-tuxedo-dam-lake-summit, https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/news/14659-helene-caused-severe-damage-at-tuxedo-power-plant.html

From Blue Ridge to Duke to Northbrook

In 1927, the Blue Ridge Power and Light Company sold the power plant to the Duke Power Company. In 2019, Duke Energy sold Tuxedo and four other century-old hydro stations to Northbrook Energy for $4.75 million. The others included plants in Franklin, Murphy and Whittier. Duke said the plants had become too expensive to maintain and operate, and it agreed to buy their power for five years.

Northbrook Energy, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a private, independent power producer with hydroelectric plants in 12 states.

Sources: https://www.wfae.org/energy-environment/2019-08-20/duke-energy-sells-5-nc-and-sc-hydroelectric-plants, https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/news/14659-helene-caused-severe-damage-at-tuxedo-power-plant.html

What Helene Did to the Tuxedo Powerhouse

Helene severely damaged the powerhouse and the penstock, the pipe system that carried water from the dam to the powerhouse. In a statement reported in December 2024, Northbrook said the dam itself was secure and posed no structural risk to downstream areas. Water now flows over the dam into the riverbed instead.

That changed two things. Before the storm, the plant could manage lake levels and support recreational water releases downstream. Now it can do neither. Northbrook also said the damaged powerhouse area faces potential stability issues that make repairs challenging.

Downstream, the paddling economy has suffered. Tim Bell said his Saluda business, Green River Adventures, is down about a third since Helene. Wendell Gillespie runs Green River Cove Tubing Company on the Lower Green. He said a weekend that once brought 600 or 800 customers now brings 300 or 400. Shane Benedict, founder of the kayak maker Liquidlogic, said the Green would normally run 300 days a year if the hydro station were operating. There is one silver lining. A 1.4-mile stretch of riverbed called the Dries, which the pipelines used to bypass, is running for the first time in decades.

In October 2026, Henderson County's assistant county manager said Northbrook Tuxedo had been talking with multiple potential buyers. He said it was also reviewing its own plans to potentially rehabilitate the dam. The General Assembly allocated $20 million to repair 12 dams, including the Lake Summit Dam, but it was not yet clear how much this dam would receive. Bell said he had spoken with Northbrook Tuxedo about a company proposal for a stopgap siphon system to control water flow over the dam.

Sources: https://www.hendersonvillelightning.com/news/14659-helene-caused-severe-damage-at-tuxedo-power-plant.html, https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/green-river-whitewater-still-suffering-090213405.html

Boat Stickers and Who Gets On the Water

Lake Summit is private, managed by the Lake Summit Property Owners Association. Every powered watercraft, regardless of horsepower, needs a current sticker. The first boat costs $85, and each additional powered boat costs $25. Each property is limited to two jet skis. A gate card is another $25.

Association members apply through one form. Renters or residents of the Green River Fire District have their own application. It requires a primary address in the district, a driver's license, boat registration and liability insurance. Allow three weeks for processing. That form also covers up to two non-powered vessels, such as canoes, kayaks or paddleboards, at $15 each. Commercial use of vessels on the lake is prohibited.

Sources: https://www.lakesummitnc.org/boatsticker, https://www.lakesummitnc.org/grfd-boatsticker

No Wake Rules Worth Knowing

Boats travel counter-clockwise around the lake. They must stay at idle speed within 100 feet of swimmers, skiers, rafts, docks, boathouses and bridges, and they must yield to non-powered craft. The posted rules list five idle-speed-only coves: Mondamin Cove, Bissell Park Cove, Interlocken Cove, the Green River Channel Cove and the Dam Cove. Residents of those coves may ski into or out of their cove. The association's information page instead says four coves are marked no wake at all times.

Motorboats and personal watercraft must go at idle speed on Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., in consideration of nearby church and chapel gatherings. The association's information page limits this lakewide Sunday no wake period to the summer season. The posted rules also require idle speed from one half hour after sunset until 8:00 a.m. The information page gives 1.5 hours after sunset instead. Personal watercraft are not allowed after sunset.

High water combined with a boat wake can damage boathouses, sea walls and banks, and boats inside their boathouses. For that reason, the entire lake goes no wake at a set water level. The sources disagree on that level: the boating rules say 99.5 feet, and the information page says 99 feet or higher. The sticker pages currently say the lake is at flood level and fully no wake until that is resolved. Property owners with renters are responsible for telling their tenants about the wake restrictions. Check the level indicator at the ramp or greenrivernc.com before you go.

Sources: https://www.lakesummitnc.org/services-9, https://www.lakesummitnc.org/boatsticker

Keep Exploring

For the towns nearby, start with Flat Rock real estate and Zirconia real estate. The wider Henderson County listings cover the rest of the county.

You may also like more on the area.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the public boat on Lake Summit?

Not freely. Lake Summit is private and managed by the Lake Summit Property Owners Association. Every powered watercraft needs a current sticker. Association members apply through one form. Renters or residents whose primary address is in the Green River Fire District apply through a separate form. That form also lets applicants register up to two non-powered vessels, such as canoes, kayaks or paddleboards, for $15 each. Commercial use of vessels on the lake is prohibited.

Who owns the Lake Summit dam?

The Hendersonville Times-News identifies the dam's owner as Northbrook Tuxedo. Duke Energy sold the plant to Northbrook Energy, which is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2019. In October 2026, Henderson County's assistant county manager said the owner was talking with multiple potential buyers. He said it was also reviewing its own plans to potentially rehabilitate the dam.

Is Lake Summit a no wake zone right now?

The association's boat sticker pages say the lake is currently at flood level and that the entire lake is a no wake zone until that is resolved. The posted sources disagree on the regular high-water threshold. The boating rules say 99.5 feet. The association's information page says 99 feet or higher. Check the level indicator at the ramp or greenrivernc.com before heading out.