ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 http://corneliusnews.net/blog/2014/04/01/poor-water-quality-prompts-plan-to-drain-lake-norman/ As a dam operator... I caught this story, very interesting. They expect that residents will help fill the lake back up with their garden hoses... WOW! Sounds neat! I guess water quality is bad. This has only happened three times in the country before... From how I am reading this. Again, interesting to say the least! Come on people... What do you think? :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LikeIGiveADarn Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I think I'll get out the ol' metal detector and do some treasure hunting. Where is this place anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 I think I'll get out the ol' metal detector and do some treasure hunting. Where is this place anyway? LoL... It is in jboyst's neck of the woods... I hear, they will have a "lost an found day" in July. I gotta make that trip! I hope all the garden hoses help out! They will give people a free extension hose if theirs don't reach the lakeshore... Sounds mighty nice of Duke Energy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I know many people that will be very busy making a lot of money. If I had a portable welder/welding truck I would go down there on weekends and make a killing. They did this to the 2nd largest lake in the state, right outside of town here, and the work was thru the roof. Welding jobs all over and the prices per hour are ridiculous. One of the areas best welders will not quote you a price by the hour. He will simply tell you it will take him a certain length of time, the difficulty of it and tell you it will be XYZ. I have done math on his quotes to find he usually doesn't go below $150/hr and been as high as $300-350 and hour. For 5 min of work he might only charge you $5, though, if he charges you at all. Anyway, this is going to be a big deal here. I think I'll get out the ol' metal detector and do some treasure hunting. Where is this place anyway? Charlotte metro. It is just outside of Charlotte. The largest lake in the state. LoL... It is in jboyst's neck of the woods... I hear, they will have a "lost an found day" in July. I gotta make that trip! I hope all the garden hoses help out! They will give people a free extension hose if theirs don't reach the lakeshore... Sounds mighty nice of Duke Energy! I will definitely be making the trip down th-ere. I don't watch the news much, but know this is going to make major news here. If you are serious, or anyone else. Let me know, via PM or what. I can either let you get some info on the area or more. Charlotte folks, I know you're reading this and there are many great ones that way, come on, lets host these Yankees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 LoL... It is in jboyst's neck of the woods... I hear, they will have a "lost an found day" in July. I gotta make that trip! I hope all the garden hoses help out! They will give people a free extension hose if theirs don't reach the lakeshore... Sounds mighty nice of Duke Energy! Isn't Duke Energy the outfit that has had multiple spills in the past couple months? Mighty nice of them? What about downstream? This lake is so polluted that we have to drain it...so much for everything downstream of the reservoir. Edit... http://articles.latimes.com/2014/mar/03/nation/la-na-nn-nc-coal-ash-spill-20140303 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 I know many people that will be very busy making a lot of money. If I had a portable welder/welding truck I would go down there on weekends and make a killing. They did this to the 2nd largest lake in the state, right outside of town here, and the work was thru the roof. Welding jobs all over and the prices per hour are ridiculous. One of the areas best welders will not quote you a price by the hour. He will simply tell you it will take him a certain length of time, the difficulty of it and tell you it will be XYZ. I have done math on his quotes to find he usually doesn't go below $150/hr and been as high as $300-350 and hour. For 5 min of work he might only charge you $5, though, if he charges you at all. Anyway, this is going to be a big deal here. Charlotte metro. It is just outside of Charlotte. The largest lake in the state. I will definitely be making the trip down th-ere. I don't watch the news much, but know this is going to make major news here. If you are serious, or anyone else. Let me know, via PM or what. I can either let you get some info on the area or more. Charlotte folks, I know you're reading this and there are many great ones that way, come on, lets host these Yankees. I hear you... As a dam operator, I dreamed of this day! All those boring dam safety videos we have to watch pales in comparison to the real deal! To actually see a lake drained has to be a once in a lifetime event... Sorry for getting all geeked about this, us operators are a strange breed (as you all know)... :-) It will be really cool to see how that "special drain gate" works. The hose thingy... I wonder what Duke Energy's bill will be, they gotta give them a discount? I don't know much about the area, I hope some spring rains help! April showers bring July boating? Isn't Duke Energy the outfit that has had multiple spills in the past couple months? Mighty nice of them? What about downstream? This lake is so polluted that we have to drain it...so much for everything downstream of the reservoir. Edit... http://articles.latimes.com/2014/mar/03/nation/la-na-nn-nc-coal-ash-spill-20140303 See, you moderators always think you are smarter than the rest! I hear Eccowater (out of Minnesota) developed these really big filters for scubbing the nasties out of the water. That is one thing the story missed out on mentioning... That is why they use the special drain gate... That is were the filters are fitted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I hear you... As a dam operator, I dreamed of this day! All those boring dam safety videos we have to watch pales in comparison to the real deal! To actually see a lake drained has to be a once in a lifetime event... Sorry for getting all geeked about this, us operators are a strange breed (as you all know)... :-) It will be really cool to see how that "special drain gate" works. The hose thingy... I wonder what Duke Energy's bill will be, they gotta give them a discount? I don't know much about the area, I hope some spring rains help! April showers bring July boating? Duke owns the lake, IIRC. High Rock Lake is owned by Alcoa, in Davidson County. It is the second largest lake and they can decide the water level on their own. When they drained the lake, well, no one had a choice. In severe drought seasons they let the water down so low that boats lose access to the water from their piers. The best part is that many people often took out the plug in their boat while it would sit for the low water level periods and often time forget or not even have time to put it back in before the lake rises - and they're left with a sunk boat. Isn't Duke Energy the outfit that has had multiple spills in the past couple months? Mighty nice of them? What about downstream? This lake is so polluted that we have to drain it...so much for everything downstream of the reservoir. Edit... http://articles.lati...-spill-20140303 That is up North more, above Raleigh, coal ash that was stored improperly over the years and the argument is being made that it was stored (some of it) correctly at the time. That feeds an entire different system NC waterways empty out many states between VA and the Gulf. Cowans Ford Dam created the largest manmade body of fresh water in North Carolina when it dammed the Catawba River in 1963. The total length of the facility is 7,387 feet, including more than a mile of earthen dam. The concrete portion of the dam is 1,279 feet long and 130 feet high. Lake Norman is an "inland sea" with 520 miles of shoreline and a surface area of more than 32,475 acres. Named after former Duke Power president Norman Cocke, Lake Norman is nearly as large as the other ten lakes on the Catawba combined. Full pond elevation at Lake Norman is 760 feet. The water of Lake Norman is used in two ways to provide electricity to the Piedmont Carolinas. It is used to power the generators at Cowans Ford Hydroelectric Station and by Marshall Steam Station and McGuire Nuclear Station to cool the steam that drives the turbines. This steam is condensed back to water so it can be pumped back through the plants and used again. The lake provides a dependable supply of water to Lincoln County, Davidson, Mooresville, Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Huntersville, North Carolina. Duke Energy partnered with the state in the establishment of the Lake Norman State Park. In addition, Duke Energy has built two bank fishing areas and eight public boating access areas along the shoreline. One site is leased to Mecklenburg County and one to Iredell County. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 Duke owns the lake, IIRC. High Rock Lake is owned by Alcoa, in Davidson County. It is the second largest lake and they can decide the water level on their own. When they drained the lake, well, no one had a choice. In severe drought seasons they let the water down so low that boats lose access to the water from their piers. The best part is that many people often took out the plug in their boat while it would sit for the low water level periods and often time forget or not even have time to put it back in before the lake rises - and they're left with a sunk boat. Yeah! That could be a problem! I had a boater one time forget to put his bilge plug in! I couldn't get the lock opened right away... So he had to operate the boat in circles really fast so his boat wouldn't sink. Then when I had the lock ready... He shot through in a straight line. Crazy, he made it to the boat ramp where his wife was waiting with the trailer... Just in time! If I recall, he left me few "pops" on the lockwall next time I saw him... For my due diligence that is. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 See, you moderators always think you are smarter than the rest! I hear Eccowater (out of Minnesota) developed these really big filters for scubbing the nasties out of the water. That is one thing the story missed out on mentioning... That is why they use the special drain gate... That is were the filters are fitted. Read up on Duke Energy before you anoint them, or did you miss that link? Duke owns the lake, IIRC. High Rock Lake is owned by Alcoa, in Davidson County. It is the second largest lake and they can decide the water level on their own. When they drained the lake, well, no one had a choice. In severe drought seasons they let the water down so low that boats lose access to the water from their piers. The best part is that many people often took out the plug in their boat while it would sit for the low water level periods and often time forget or not even have time to put it back in before the lake rises - and they're left with a sunk boat. That is up North more, above Raleigh, coal ash that was stored improperly over the years and the argument is being made that it was stored (some of it) correctly at the time. That feeds an entire different system NC waterways empty out many states between VA and the Gulf. I don't care where the spill was. I do care about someone lauding a company that has a very shoddy record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBill Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I find it interesting that boats are not an issue. Isn't prop damage a concern? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 @ Beerball: I hear you! But reaching out and working with the filter company in Minnesota. Concerned residents can have their water tested here for free-- www.ecowater.com I find it interesting that boats are not an issue. Isn't prop damage a concern? I am not sure about the geology of the area... boyst can probably help out about that. I think the bottom is most sandy loom or something... Gets really mucky, not a lot rocks so prop damage is held to a minimum. Stainless props hold up better. Also, that is part of the plan... Get the boats to stir a little bit of that stuff up and send it towards the special drain gate. I gotta look into that, I know the Corps has to be in on this somewhere? Then again, it might be classified information. Read up on Duke Energy before you anoint them, or did you miss that link? I don't care where the spill was. I do care about someone lauding a company that has a very shoddy record. I prefer to not make this political... Let's just talk about the draining of the lake. Gotta give Duke an attaboy for nipping this water quality thing in the bud! I am sorry poo flows down hill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 @ Beerball: I hear you! But reaching out and working with the filter company in Minnesota. Concerned residents can have their water tested here for free-- www.ecowater.com I am not sure about the geology of the area... boyst can probably help out about that. I think the bottom is most sandy loom or something... Gets really mucky, not a lot rocks so prop damage is held to a minimum. Stainless props hold up better. Also, that is part of the plan... Get the boats to stir a little bit of that stuff up and send it towards the special drain gate. I gotta look into that, I know the Corps has to be in on this somewhere? Then again, it might be classified information. I prefer to not make this political... Let's just talk about the draining of the lake. Gotta give Duke an attaboy for nipping this water quality thing in the bud! I am sorry poo flows down hill. A lot of mud, muck and red clay. But a lot of rock, too. There are some big yachts and a lot of sailboats out there on the lake. It will be interesting to see what they do with them. The lake is popular with the big bank execs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 A lot of mud, muck and red clay. But a lot of rock, too. There are some big yachts and a lot of sailboats out there on the lake. It will be interesting to see what they do with them. The lake is popular with the big bank execs. Pffft! Screw those big bank execs! Charlotte elite! They can load them on flatbeds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Pffft! Screw those big bank execs! Charlotte elite! They can load them on flatbeds! thought you didn't want the thread to get political Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 thought you didn't want the thread to get political Ooops. You got me. Stuff like that is hard to resist! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Things Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Yuck. How pathetic. This lake so polluted that they need to drain it, but yet people boat, swim and fish in it?? No thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snafu Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Yuck. How pathetic. This lake so polluted that they need to drain it, but yet people boat, swim and fish in it?? No thanks. Not only that, they invite people to come and trudge through the (probably more heavily) polluted muck that's left behind to find lost valuables and arrowheads. Are they giving out free tetanus shots and cholera treatments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordio Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 A lot of mud, muck and red clay. But a lot of rock, too. There are some big yachts and a lot of sailboats out there on the lake. It will be interesting to see what they do with them. The lake is popular with the big bank execs. I had a job offer a few years ago to head up the commercial credit division of one of the banks right by Lake Norman. Lake & the overall area was beautiful. To this day I kind of regret not taking the job as it was more money & I think it would of been a beautiful place for my kids to grow up but in the end I just didn't have the heart to take away my kids from their grandparents. Yuck. How pathetic. This lake so polluted that they need to drain it, but yet people boat, swim and fish in it?? No thanks. Very true, after reading this I am actually kind of glad I didn't move down there as I am sure my kids would of been living in that water come summer time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Boat owners need not take any action as the lake recedes. Since the water level will be going down slowly, boats will be gently deposited on the lake bottom. As the lake refills, the rising tide will lift all boats. More lies. What about the middle class boats? Should you find a fish on dry ground, please throw it in to the remaining lake water. If you can not reach the shore due to deep mud, please keep the fish in your bathtub till the lake rises. DO NOT put fish in your swimming pool They can not survive in chlorinated water. Thanks for the reminder! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan-4-Ever Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 hoses will be provided and Residents will not be charged for the water used for this project. Fees will be waived from May 15 to June 1. how considerate of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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