CAMPSITE GRAVEL REPLENISHMENT PROGRAM DELAYED BY HIGH WATER IS NOW UNDER WAY AT NC KERR LAKE STATE RECREATION AREAS
The water went up the first of May to 313 ft and down, then to 311 ft and down, then to 307.5 ft in June (above sea level, normal is 300 ft) and now it’s back close to normal. NC Parks maintenance crews at Kerr have pulled the electric boxes on campsites, put them back, pulled them again and so on…three times this Spring.
NC Maintenance Head Chris Curl, describing how pushed he, his crew and others have been, simply said, “Rolling.” Office staff at Kerr spent their time and overtime answering calls from campers wanting to know if they could come to their campsite or was it flooded; park staff also called out. Reserve America, which takes $3 a night for reservations failed miserably to call campers during the three episodes, but they kept the money (another story, another time). Campers calling Reserve America often were told that RA didn’t know the status of the flooding..
Kerr Lake Park Watch last August gave NC State Park officials from Raleigh a tour of all seven parks and Steele Creek Marina. That effort, having the brass see all the nooks and crannies, is helping. Firewood boxes and recycling bins are showing up and so is both campsite driveway gravel and fine gravel for picnic/tent pads.
Frank Timberlake, Lead Public Affairs for Kerr Lake Park Watch, got the see crews firsthand spreading the welcome refurbishment to some popular sites. Pictured below is maintenance crew member Gary Quinitchette bringing gravel on the backhoe, west side maintenance lead John Abbott, Jr. spreading gravel with the Bobcat and a little fine-tuning raking from new ranger Kyle Whitson.
“No other state parks crews, maybe some of the mountains come close, but no other group has to contend with the high water, the low water, up and down, pull electric boxes, put them back, the wind and the wrath of Kerr Lake, plus all the regular maintenance and operational duties,” said Timberlake. “I’ll put these guys and gals up against any other team in the state! Sure, we have wants, needs and problems at the seven recreation areas, but these maintenance and ops people do a heck of job with what they’re given! I thank them every chance I get and you should do so, “concluded Timberlake.
Timberlake and the rest of the Kerr Lake Park Watch leadership are eagerly awaiting from Raleigh the results of the recent needs and improvements survey. They plan to form a definitive improvements list after seeing survey results.