Devin Jones

Camryn Garrett
Mariah Fludd
UWRT-1102-014
February 8th, 2016
Semester Project Proposal
Lake Norman is a growing and historically wealthy region north of Charlotte that has
changed the area both figuratively and literally. Different topics can be studied on how a simple
purpose for a body of fresh water has turned into an economic and cultural expansion based
around the Lake Norman area. As a group, we plan to examine the history and timing of the
creation of the lake, along with who created it, why it was crafted and how. We plan to look into
how the lake has affected the economy, local business, attractions and overall benefits. We will
include some negative aspects such as some of the health risks and the horrific traffic patterns.
The last area that we will research will be the culture of the region because it has changed due to
the surrounding lake. Our main goal is to inform our audience of the historical importance of
Lake Norman, but also be persuasive about the amazing living aspects Lake Norman has to offer.
Laying the foundation of the research will be the construction and creation of Lake
Norman, as its main purpose was originally flood control and freshwater. Duke Power, which
had dammed the Catawba River since the start of the century, purchased acres of land at a cheap
price from many families that soon found their previously owned property engulfed underwater.
The creation of the lake was non-protested, without community involvement in the making of the
decision. The lake consumed churches, farms and other buildings. As the water rose, it covered
32,000 acres making it the largest manmade lake in North Carolina. Some called it the inland

sea. In our research well dive deeper into how the forming of the lake changed the lives of
those who surrounded it at the time and how it shaped the future of the area.
The economy shifted dramatically as people began to flock to the lake after it
reached full-pond in 1964. New lots were bought as people set up shop with lake-front homes.
New businesses were founded to meet the need for the influx of population. New formed
communities led to an economic boom, as the Mooresville and Davidson area expanded due to,
the newly formed lake. Deeper examples will be explored in our final presentation, as well look
into different illustrations to inform what makes Lake Norman unique to the Charlotte area.
As a group, we plan to utilize our knowledge and passion for the area, along with a
number of unique researching tools. We plan to have multimodal aspects such as pictures, sound,
video, textual resources and online outlets to use at our disposal. The strategy for our group is to
show how Lake Norman has developed over time, with the help of visuals modes, for example
overhead shots of the lake and surrounding areas along with a time-lapse video. Adding these
modules will allow our presentation to resonate well with our audience.
Group members Devin and Camryn are from the Lake Norman area and will be able to
provide personal examples of how the area has grown through their own eyes. We also plan to
conduct interviews with long-time residents and new residents of the area to provide views on
the pros, cons of the lake along with how its changed over the years. These interviewees will
provide linguistic mode evidence with their spoken thoughts. Our main form of visuals will be
shown through PowerPoint. Slides will include photos, references, citations and text. These
aspects will include both linguistic and visual modes, as stated above, which will add diversity to
our final project. By using these different modes of explanation it will help the audience

understand our main points. We will present different genres within our presentation such as an
interview and memoirs to help better connect with our audience.
Amongst our group of four, we plan to evenly divide the work so each person has a
quality amount of time and knowledge to contribute and share. We will set up a formal interview
by the end of February with an individual who has knowledge of the area. We plan to set goals
for each group member to stay on track and to expand our knowledge on the topic as individuals.
Each member will perform semester long research to dive deep into a search for facts about Lake
Norman that the general public are unaware of. We will attentively collect our information by
using online sites, magazine articles, and books throughout our research. These sources will be
cited by week 13, in order to participate in the annotated bibliography peer review. In addition,
our group members will meet every week to keep track with our progress. Time management is
the key for creating a project with a lasting impression.
Our topic of choice is an important part of the growth and expansion of the Charlotte area
and its surrounding suburbs. Today, the lake draws attention from all over the Southeast and is
synonymous with the wealthy culture in that area. The lake is a form of entertainment for many,
including young adults which are our primary audience for this project. Our presentation should
connect with most audience members and through our groups different aspects of explanation,
everyone should be drawn into this exciting and interesting topic.