LAKE USER WOULD LIKE LESS DRAMATIC WATER LEVEL DROPS BY CORPS
This blog post comes from an avid lake user and Veteran, Dennis Harris. We welcome your comments and posts. Just send an email to info@kerrlakeparkwatch.org or click on the comment section of this blog.
“Another problem related to the hydrilla is that the Corp (US Army Corps of Engineers) is dropping the lake an average of 6 inches every week. Four weeks ago, docks were above the hydrilla, but now with a 2 foot drop in the water level our boats are in the hydrilla and/or must go through the hydrilla to get to open water.
Kerr Lake is a huge economic engine for the surrounding counties, but when people cannot use their boats due to the hydrilla and due to a the lake level being lowered at such a fast and steady rate, then money is not spent by people using the lake. It also creates hazards for boaters who are not familiar with the lake. Depth finders are not very good in warning boaters about rocks and stumps.
I realize that the Corp has a curve that is used to determine the lake level for the year, but it appears that maybe this should be adjusted during the summer by not dropping the water level 6 inches each week. Maybe a more modest drop of 3 inches per week, based upon rain amounts in the basin.
I, along with a number of other people feel that the constant drop in the lake level has compounded the hydrilla problem and that a slower drop in the water level will help the users of the lake and it will provide a longer boost to the local economy.”
Dennis Harris
This is a tough one Dennis. Lowering the water is a two edged sword. While I agree with you that lowing the water puts us, our docks and our boats in the nasty hydrilla very quickly. One of the few ways to fight the hydrilla is to lower the water and expose the hydrilla to the air. THE MOST ALARMING thing to me is that I’m seeing hydrilla moving into areas in our coves (Wilson Cove and Dodson Cove) where it has not been before. So, that means it is aggressively taking over. Unlike Lake Gaston with permanent docks, if we pay for someone to spray around our docks, our docks will be moved away from the sprayed area in a couple of weeks. So spraying is for naught. Obviously the corp really does not care about any of our hydrilla issues. They are here to manage the lake to produce hydroelectricity, flood control down east and public drinking water. Property owners and recreation are way at the bottom of their list of concerns. This is a big issue, but will be way bigger if someone does not do something on a large scale soon. Let’s all try talking to our legislators.
Larry,
I agree with everything you are saying. The only way to control hydrilla on Kerr Lake is to drop the water level. I know people who have had their dock area sprayed with limited results.
I reviewed the curve for the period of August 2000 – August 2011 and the curve level is 299.50. I don’t mind that they drop the level to control the hydrilla, but do it after Labor Day when the usage is down. Several years ago, It got down to 291 and it took awhile for the hydrilla to return.
It would be interesting to see the economic impact the lake has on the surrounding communities in relationship to the value of the electricity produced.
I strongly agree that we should be contacting our Congressional representatives and state representatives, but of course currently they are more concerning about getting re-elected than hydrilla on Kerr Lake.
Maybe after the election we can get their attention on this issue and get a plan of action to address the problem.