Town of Lake Lure Storm Recovery Update

Lake Lure -- Lake Lure Storm Recovery updates and information as of Friday, 2/28/25. Below is the latest update from the Town of Lake 

Lure: Friday, February 28, 2025" 

LAKE STATUS

• Lake Levels: The current Lake Level is 990 Mean Sea Level (MSL) as of 2/28/25. 
• The Town will be lowering the Lake Level to about 988 - 988.5 MSL over the weekend to support the work of the divers working on the reservoir drain. 
• The Lake will remain at this level until their work is complete, hopefully next week. 
• The Town will consult with the US Army Corp of Engineers and AshBritt regarding the optimal lake level for the ongoing work of removing debris once the divers have finished their project at the dam. 
• Updates will be posted here when further decisions are made regarding the Lake Level.        
• Lake Use in 2025: Town Council and Town leadership are keenly aware of the importance of reopening the Lake as soon as it is safe to do so.  Given the timing of the work that has been completed thus far and the need for ongoing work moving forward, it is extremely unlikely that the Lake will be able to open for the 2025 summer season. At this time, this includes motorized and non-motorized vessels as well as swimming.  Please note that Town Council and Town leadership will continue to evaluate options for opening the Lake or portions of the Lake if these options are possible.  The Town is awaiting approval and a timeline from FEMA and the USACE for subsurface debris, silt, and sedimentation removal before any further decisions can be made. The Town has submitted a detailed request for this work and we have been advised that we will hear something very soon.
• Washburn Marina/Boat Slips: Plans for rebuilding the Washburn Marina are also dependent upon future funding.  We will continue to keep you informed with any updates as new information becomes available.  
All marina slips are being reserved for existing slip renters and updates will be posted as new information becomes available.  
• Boat Permits: Boat permits will not become available until the Lake reopens.
• Water Quality Tests: Town officials are happy to report that the turbidity readings are decreasing. As turbidity decreases, the color of the water will begin to return to normal. Turbidity is the measurement of water clarity (i.e., transparency).  The areas with higher turbidity have low total suspended solids (TSS), which measures the weight of the particles suspended in the water. This confirms that the turbidity is being caused by light-weight fine particles suspended in the water. The turbidity readings should continue to decrease, as more fine silt particles settle out of the water. All of the other parameters are within normal range.
You may review the updated spreadsheet which illustrates all the water sample data received by the Town of Lake Lure.  The latest water quality tests (2/5/25) are posted at the following link along with the history of the results. https://www.townoflakelure.com/.../lake-lure-water-sample... 

FREE PRIVATE AND COMMERCIAL BUSINESS PEROPERT DEBRIS REMOVAL

The Town of Lake Lure and all those in areas code 28746 are eligible to apply for a free option for debris removal.  Owners who cannot take their private or commercial business property debris to the right of way (ROW) for pickup and who do not have debris removal insurance or have inadequate debris removal insurance, may apply to have qualified disaster debris removed from their property for FREE through the Private and Commercial Property Debris Removal (PPDR) Program. The program also covers the demolition of eligible unsafe structures on both private and commercial business properties. Applications can be found on Town of Lake Lure website.

How long with the process take?

The PPDR program requires a very thorough process to determine eligibility on private and commercial business properties. Debris removal will be a lengthy process, and we appreciate everyone’s collaboration as we begin to clean up our homes, businesses and communities. 
What types of debris and demolition are eligible under the commercial and PPDR program?
• Removal of hazardous limbs, trees, or other mixed debris caused by Hurricane Helene that is near a commonly used area or maintained areas of a private or commercial business property.
• Removal of debris impacting a waterway.
• The demolition and removal of a structure that is a health hazard, deemed unfit/unsafe, and may not be recoverable, or is in threat of collapse on a private or commercial business property. This may include concrete slabs.

What is NOT eligible under the program?
• Debris on vacant lots, unimproved property, and unused or unmaintained areas of commercial/business or private property.
• Debris on land used primarily for agricultural purposes, such as land for crops or livestock on commercial/business or private property.
• Debris on property which has been accepted into the FEMA Hazard mitigation Assistance Program (HMA) is not eligible for PPDR services.

IMPORTANT MEETINGS

• NC DOT Meeting: The NC Department of Transportation held a Public Meeting on 2/26/25.  There was no formal presentation but you may download a scanned copy of the informational packet they provided for anyone who was unable to attend. . link below. One topic discussed at this forum were the potential entries for Chimney Rock State Park.  The Town of Lake Lure is advocating for two entrances to the Park for emergency response.  You may not be aware but Chimney Rock State Park is actually in the Town of Lake Lure and Lake Lure Fire/Emergency Rescue provides coverage to this area.  Lago Vista Road could be extended in less than six months and would allow for the opening of Park quickly to bring in tourism to the area and strengthen the economy. Only a quarter mile of road is needed to connect Lago Vista Road to Chimney Rock State Park Road.

• American Flood Coalition (AFC) convenes Western NC leaders to launch recovery and resilience partnership: Staff from the American Flood Coalition were on the ground this month in Western North Carolina, supporting communities in their recovery from Hurricane Helene. While there, AFC convened nearly two dozen local leaders (Including Mayor Carol Pritchett and Mayor Pro Tem David DiOrio) to formally launch the WNC Recovery & Resilience Partnership. The Partnership is a regionally led effort to secure financial support, resources, and policy improvements that aid in Helene recovery and better prepare the state for future disasters. It’s also a way to keep the needs of the Western

North Carolina region top of mind for the media, state legislature, and Congress. View the video from the meeting featuring Mayor Pro Tem David DiOrio.https://floodcoalition.org/western-nc-leaders-launch.../  Mayor Pritchett reported that “the forum allowed us to speak with many of the NC Department leaders and to communicate with both NC Senators and Representatives who were at The General Assembly Building. The conversations were very fruitful and help to keep Lake Lure’s profile high in Raleigh. Going forward, AFC will collaborate with members of the Partnership on visits with leaders in both Raleigh, as well as Washington, D.C., to push for policy priorities that streamline recovery and help communities rebuild with resilience in mind.  As a coalition that works at all levels of government, AFC is uniquely positioned to do this work, bringing together local leaders and elevating concerns to push state and federal policymakers to streamline the federal recovery process to better serve communities.