Lake Keowee is located in Pickens and Oconee Counties, between Lakes Jocassee and Hartwell. Together, these three lakes make a prominent water system in the western South Carolina region. The lake was created in 1971 by the construction of the Keowee Dam and Little River Dam. The closest town to Lake Keowee is Seneca, and other nearby towns include Clemson, Walhalla, and Pickens. The name Keowee is a Cherokee name that roughly translates to "place of the mulberries". 26 miles long and 3 miles wide with over 300 miles of shoreline, Lake Keowee is a larger lake, covering 18,372 acres. The lake has an average depth of 54 feet and a maximum depth of 155 feet. Lake Keowee has excellent water quality, second only to Lake Jocassee. Popular activities on the lake include fishing, boating, swimming, sailing, kayaking, camping, and picnicking. Visitors can also hike through the forest and see wildlife. The Whitewater River, one of the many rivers that fills Lake Jocassee, is home to the tallest waterfall east of the Mississippi — Whitewater Falls — which is just a short drive from Lake Keowee. The Keowee River carries these mountain waters past the Clemson football stadium to fill the 56,000 acre Lake Hartwell. Lake Keowee is a man-made reservoir that serves as a recreational destination, a backup water supply for Greenville, and as a cooling reservoir for Duke Energy's Oconee Nuclear Station.