The East Fork Lakes: Cedar Cliff, Wolf Creek and Tanasee

By Jon Tharp, Broker · October 22, 2026

Bear Creek Dam rises 230 feet across a narrow gorge on the East Fork of the Tuckasegee River, and it is built of rock fill. Concrete was the standard for dams in the 1950s, but a Sylva Herald column recounting a 1955 newspaper report describes concrete construction as "prohibitively expensive," and Nantahala Power and Light used rock fill for all four of its East Fork dams.

The Sylva Herald columnist wrote that Cedar Cliff, Bear Creek, Wolf Creek and Tanasee Creek lakes are all located in the Canada community. County tourism leaders promote them as Jackson's "four remote gems." They are not as well known or accessible as Lake Glenville, but they see heavy use in the summer by visitors and locals alike.

Built One Dam at a Time, 1952 to 1955

NP&L built the four dams one at a time, starting with the lowest. Cedar Cliff came first in 1952, then Bear Creek in 1954, and finally Wolf Creek and Tanasee Creek, which share a powerhouse and began operations in May 1955. The company spent some $8 million on the project.

Individually the dams were small as power installations go. Together they increased NP&L's capacity by 25 percent. Bear Creek's dam is the highest at 230 feet. The 1955 report put Cedar Cliff at 175 feet; a later Sylva Herald article puts it at 173. Wolf Creek's dam is 140 feet and Tanasee Creek's 80.

The engineering was considered innovative at the time. The main rock mass of the dams was faced with "impervious clay" on the upstream side, and NP&L president John Archer said the dams would not produce enough power to be economically feasible without some "radically new departures in engineering." Another cost-cutting feature was remote-controlled operation of the new powerhouses from the Thorpe Plant. Each dam included a "fuse plug," a section at one side designed to fail in extreme high water and relieve pressure on the main dam.

Asheville Citizen writer Phil Clark described the lakes in 1955 as "blue jewels along the swit [sic] waters of the Tuckaseigee River's east fork." The columnist wrote that a trip up N.C. 281 shows his description is still accurate.

Source: The Sylva Herald, thesylvaherald.com/columns/ruralite_cafe/article_df25dbc6-6cda-11e2-88c6-0019bb30f31a.html

The Lakes by the Numbers

Bear Creek is the largest, at 476 acres with 16.1 miles of shoreline. Wolf Creek covers about 183 acres with about 7.6 miles of shoreline, Cedar Cliff 121 acres with 5.4 miles, and Tanasee Creek about 40 acres with about 3.9 miles.

Wolf Creek and Tanasee Creek sit at a normal full pond elevation of 3,080 feet, Bear Creek at 2,560 and Cedar Cliff at 2,330. The surrounding slopes are steep and forested, ranging from 2,250 to 3,800 feet. Tanasee Creek Dam is on the East Fork, and Wolf Creek Dam is on Wolf Creek, a tributary of the East Fork. Water from the Tennessee Creek powerhouse is released into Bear Creek Lake, Bear Creek's powerhouse releases into Cedar Cliff Lake, and Cedar Cliff's powerhouse empties into the East Fork. The Tuckasegee River flows through Cullowhee, Sylva and Bryson City.

Source: Duke Energy East Fork Shoreline Management Plan, duke-energy.com/-/media/pdfs/community/lakes-and-rec/ef-smp.pdf

Duke Energy and the East Fork License

Duke Energy Carolinas owns the East Fork Hydroelectric Project, whose boundary encompasses the four lakes. Duke submitted its FERC license application in January 2004, along with a settlement agreement it signed with the Tuckasegee Cooperative Stakeholder Team. Signatories included Bear Creek and Cedar Cliff lake residents, American Whitewater, the Carolina Canoe Club, the North Carolina Council of Trout Unlimited and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

FERC issued the current license on April 29, 2011. It expires April 26, 2041.

Sources: hydroreform.org/hydro-project/east-fork-p-2698/ and Duke Energy East Fork SMP

Drawdowns and the Cedar Cliff Spillway Work

Duke Energy sought federal permission to draw down and refill all four lakes for repairs. The most serious was fixing an unsealed head gate at Bear Creek Lake. Other fixes included additional cables for hoisting spillway gates, needed to meet federal safety redundancy requirements. To avoid closing the lakes in summer, Duke said it would delay the work until after Labor Day, pending federal approval, with work slated to begin in September 2018.

At Cedar Cliff, preliminary work began in 2019 to widen and upgrade one of the dam's two spillways. The auxiliary spillway's width will increase from 95 to 145 feet, and the channel bottom will be lowered by 15 feet on average. Duke's chief dam safety engineer said FERC is requiring the dam to handle a larger flood. Duke's Ken Karably said crews were blasting about 250,000 cubic yards. The widening involves digging into a hillside, creating a cliff about 200 feet high on the east side of the dam. Plans call for replacing the earthen fuseplugs with six concrete "fusegates" designed to progressively flip as flows exceed certain levels. The Sylva Herald reported the work would continue at least until about July 2024, when the new flood control measures are completed.

In February 2023, Duke said it would manage Bear Creek Lake to an adjusted target of 93 feet (full pond is 100) for the remainder of 2023 to support the Cedar Cliff work, consistent with winter levels. Duke said public recreation facilities would remain accessible. It also cautioned that heavy rain could raise the lake level and that drought could prevent it from maintaining the target.

Sources: thesylvaherald.com/top_stories/article_761cd384-11b0-11e8-86b5-8b3ec9e1248d.html, thesylvaherald.com/top_stories/article_0ca50aa6-1e3b-11ed-a35a-cf057dac186d.html, thesylvaherald.com/news/article_49b93792-b2dc-11ed-93a5-1f613627bd82.html

Getting There

Primary access to all four lakes is in the Tuckasegee community, via N.C. 281 and Shook Cove Road. According to Duke's general permitting FAQ, boating, fishing, swimming and wading do not require a Duke lake use permit. Unless otherwise posted by Duke, the water and shoreline of its hydro lakes are available for public recreation, and lake use permits do not allow lake neighbors to restrict public use of the lake or shoreline.

Sources: The Sylva Herald and Duke Energy Lake Permitting FAQ, duke-energy.com/-/media/pdfs/community/lakes-and-rec/lake-permitting-faq.pdf

Piers, Permits and Buying Near the Water

Duke owns or controls the lakebed in its reservoirs. At the East Fork lakes, the project boundary is generally at a contour 10 feet above normal full pond. Duke's general FAQ says building a new lake structure, maintaining or modifying an existing one, or stabilizing the shoreline most likely requires a Duke lake use permit, applied for through the online Lake Access Permit System. Lake permits are valid for one year, and the permitting process can take a month or more.

Permitting volume at the East Fork lakes has been minimal, with only seven new facilities permitted from January 2012 through December 2017.

Duke will not provide permitting history to real estate agents or potential buyers. Buyers should ask the seller for a copy of the pier permit and application. If the seller can't provide permitting history, or the structure differs from what was permitted, there may be a compliance issue, and Duke will likely expect a new owner to correct it. If building or modifying a structure matters to a buyer, the buyer should require the seller to obtain Duke's approval before closing. Approvals are good for one year and can be transferred to the buyer after they acquire the property.

Questions go to Duke Energy Lake Services at 800-443-5193 or lakeservices@duke-energy.com.

Sources: Duke Energy Potential Buyers Info Sheet, duke-energy.com/-/media/pdfs/community/lakes-and-rec/potential-buyers-info-sheet.pdf, Duke Energy Lake Permitting FAQ, Duke Energy East Fork SMP, and The Sylva Herald

Keep Exploring

To see what is on the market around Cedar Cliff, Wolf Creek and Tanasee Creek lakes today, browse Cedar Cliff, Wolf Creek and Tanasee Creek lakes area homes for sale. For the towns nearby, start with Tuckasegee real estate. The wider Jackson County listings cover the rest of the county.

You may also like more on the area.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who owns Cedar Cliff, Bear Creek, Wolf Creek and Tanasee Creek lakes?

Duke Energy Carolinas owns the East Fork Hydroelectric Project, which includes the four lakes. It operates under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license issued April 29, 2011, that expires April 26, 2041.

Do I need a permit to build a dock on a Duke Energy lake in Jackson County?

Most likely, yes. Duke's general FAQ says a permit is likely needed to build a new lake structure, maintain or modify an existing one, stabilize the shoreline or withdraw water. If that guidance conflicts with a specific lake's plan, the plan applies. Applications are submitted online through the Lake Access Permit System. Lake permits are valid for one year, and Duke's permitting process can take a month or more.

Can a buyer check whether a lake property's dock is permitted?

Duke Lake Services will not provide permitting history to potential buyers or real estate agents. Buyers should ask the seller for a copy of the pier permit and application. If the seller can't provide permitting history, or the structure differs from what was permitted, there may be a compliance issue. If the buyer proceeds and there are compliance issues, Duke will likely expect the new owner to correct them.