ðə lˈeɪk wʌz kənstɹˈʌktᵻd bᵻtwˌiːn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti ænd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti sˈɪks baɪ ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts ˈɑːɹmi kˈɔːɹ ʌv ˌɛndʒɪnˈɪɹz ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ tə kəntɹˈoʊl flˈʌdɪŋ ɪn æn wˈɔːɾɚʃˌɛd ɐlˈɔŋ ðə ɡˈɔːli ɹˈɪvɚ ænd ðə kˈænɔːhɚ ɹˈɪvɚ.
The lake was constructed between 1960 and 1966 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in order to control flooding in an  watershed along the Gauley River and the Kanawha River.