We've had so little rain down here in Nawth Caroliner that the boat ramps all along the Catawba river chain have been closing. Water is down to below winter drawdown levels on Lake Norman- other lakes in the chain are lower still.
I'm on the lake, and it's so low here at the house that when it goes down another six inches, the boat won't come off the lift.
Anybody else in the Carolinas planning on having a fun time at any of our emptying lakes this weekend??
DaveA
Raysoncrafter
Don't complain
About a litte rain
We've had that problem for the last 3 years here on Lake Lanier. We had to buy a new house just to have enough water to float the boat, not to mention having enough for the lift too. Are you guys getting any rain from the system that is hanging around the Carolina's. As usual, they predicted that we would get some, but got none.
Hey 572-
Yea we're getting steady sprinkles- no torrents, thankfully. Part of the state has had some flash flooding!
I've got a good friend just off Alatoona near ProBoat- how're they doing over there? I haven't asked him.
Buying property w/deep water is a real plus- I'm ninety feet out into the cove, and I'm still going dry. So much for wanting that great beach and slow drop-off because of little kids.
I'm thinking about dredging under the lift and lengthening the cables if the lake ever comes up. Maybe now's the time to put in that ramp I've always thought I'd want!
DaveA
Raysoncrafter
Altoona was at full pool earlier this summer but the level is going down pretty fast now. Lanier hasn't been full since 1998. Altoona holds much less water than Lanier so it only take a good rain or 2 to fill it up. Is Lake Norman a Corp of Engineers lake? Lanier is and getting a dredging permit is very difficult, we looked into it for the old house and couldn't find a dredging contractor who was willing to do it. The cove in front of the new house is 60ft deep at the deepest part so I'm hopefully ok for a while.
572-
Lake Norman's level seesaws with the weather and hydroelectric requirements, but stays within a couple of feet of full pond most summers. It's a Duke Power managed lake, as are the rest in the Catawba River chain- James, Hickory, Lookout, Norman, Mt Island, Wylie, and others down into SC. We have several dredging/marine construction contractors around here- just takes $$$ to get it done. They know how to deal with Duke and their shoreline management dept.
I hope the level comes up for you...as for me, I'm not going to worry about it for the next couple of weeks...Maui here I come.
DaveA
Man, you guys ain't seen nuthin'!!!
We have a place on High Rock (aka Dry Rock)
I have grass 3 feet high at the end of my pier!
Have done NO boating all year.
We are sneaking off this afternoon to put the jet in on lake Tillery It is only down 3 inches. It is the last lake in the chain, so it almost always has water.
This will be the first run with this boat as I just finished it this weekend. We'll see how it goes.
FWIW, I am in the water business, and this drought is really worse than most people think, if we don't get a bunch of rain in the next few months, you will see major problems, and boating will be the last thing on our minds.
Yikes !!!! eek!
Hey Sleekcraft,
I'm just getting caught up on the board, as I just got back from Maui...no flatties/v-drives over there under about 30' or so...water tastes funny too, kinda salty.
Re: being in the water biz- yea, folks around here think that just because they're on well water, that they're ok. Boy are they ever wrong. Groundwater levels may be the last to drop, but they're also the last to go back up. The clown that built the TajMahal next door to me last year put in a blasted well water heat pump system that, I believe, dumps into the lake! If I have one, just one, problem with wellwater...guess where I'm heading.
You're right. Even with this Tropical Depression heading this way, if it doesn't keep up raining this winter, boating will not cross our minds next spring.
DaveA
I wish that folks would understand what a serious problem that we are in.
Our lake, Thomalex, which is our drinking water reservoir, is still down over 2 feet after this weekends rain. All I can say is that if we dont get some significant rainfall in the next few months, boating will be the least of our worries! eek!
The water level at Moomaw is down about 20 ft from full pond and I think they are still dropping water ! I hope the citys find a way to reduce the water they use .......for their own good ... not my recreation ! I think it is pretty obvious that using less is the only answer ... there's no more to be had . eek!
You are right on time.
We are on level 2 mandatory water restrictions.
No car washing, only watering on saturday mornings, etc. It has reduced our consumption by about half a million gallons per day. We are now pumping a little over 3 MGD, so it is a big savings.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote