South Carolina is home to Lake Murray, a 200 square-kilometer reservoir with an 800-kilometer shoreline. Lake Murray obtains its water from the Saluda River.
In the 1920's, Lake Murray was commissioned to generate hydroelectric power for the state of South Carolina. Lake Murray is named after William S. Murray, the chief engineer of the Lake Murray hydroelectric project.
Aside from generating hydroelectric power, Lake Murray is also famous for being a tourist destination. The Dreher Island State Recreation Area, which is stationed at the western part of Lake Murray, centers on fun activities such as boating and fishing. Several fishing competitions are held in Lake Murray every year. Visitors, especially the kids, are also fond of swimming and skiing with the lake area. There are also boat docks, which make Lake Murray famous for eager water sports enthusiasts. Birdwatchers can also witness the Purple Martins, Striped Bass, and the Great Blue Heron by the lake area.
Lake Murray turned out to be a crash site of B-25 Mitchell Bombers who were performing training exercises for the Second World War. Some bombers were recovered, but three remained in the lake until September 2005, when a B-25C bomber was recovered and transferred to Alabama's Southern Museum of Flight for restoration.