Edgewater Field Guide

Taylorsville Lake: From Flooded Farms to Today's Marina Rush

Cottage 37 overlooks a 3,050-acre reservoir the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers carved out of Salt River farmland to protect Louisville from floods and unlock new recreation.

Before the dam, this valley grew Burley tobacco, ferried livestock across the Salt River, and held the unincorporated town of Van Buren. Corps crews purchased homesteads, relocated cemeteries, and reshaped hillsides so Louisville could avoid another 1937-style flood.

Think of this guide as your cheat sheet: why the lake exists, what remains beneath the waterline, and how to plan modern adventures that still respect that heritage.

3,050 acres

Water area reported by USACE

18 miles

Lake length reported by USACE

1983

Dam construction completed