The time is here to select the politicians who will help protect and shape the future of High Rock Lake. SHRL is definitely NOT a political organization and we offer no advice beyond the boundaries of Davidson County. However, over the last 6 years we have worked closely and repeatedly with the Davidson County Commissioners and can attest to the fact that a vote to "re-elect" anyone to the Board of Commissioners is a waste of your time, effort and support. The only glimmer of hope is Cathy Dunn. Cathy is a successful local business owner, lifelong resident of Davidson County and has lived at High Rock lake for the last 32 years. She spearheaded the efforts to incorporate Southmont to allow the local community to have some control over their future. Her involvement in this effort ignited her interest to direct her energies, strategies and dedication for the betterment of Davidson County. Cathy sports a long record of "getting things done" and will be a HUGE asset in Davidson County and High Rock Lake's future. Once again we encourage you to use your vote effectively by casting a single vote for Cathy Dunn for Davidson County Commissioner. This strategy could again make Cathy the top "voters choice" among all of the candidates and send a loud message to the current Board of Commissioners. The residents of Davidson County are tired of the ineffective leadership of the past and are ready to replace them with someone who has energy and vision for the future of our county.

The Lexington BBQ festival will be tomorrow and with any luck the rain in the weather forecast will be sparse. Sunday looks like it might be a great opportunity to enjoy your annual "Autumn Leaves" boat ride around the lake. Lake levels are perfect for getting under the bridges and High Rock Mountain bordering Flat Swamp Creek should be sporting its best colors over the next couple of weeks.

After struggling for months with exceptionally low river flows into High Rock Lake, Mother Nature gave APGI (and all of us) a break this week and sent a very welcome tropical storm named Fay to the Yadkin River Basin. Fay dropped over 10 inches of rain in many areas above High Rock, filling both High Rock and Badin Lakes in a matter of a couple of days. This badly needed rain may have rescued both lakes from a very bleak short term future but river flows are dropping again as quickly as they rose. The torrential rains created significant flash flood runoff but did little to replenish the badly depleted ground water supplies throughout the river basin. The Drought Management Team managing the project operations recognized the relief the rain provided but continues to be very cautious about retaining as much of the water as possible until the drought is really over. Everyone on the DMT realizes that as soon as the surge subsides the river flows will likely return to the drastically low levels we have been experiencing until the ground water supplies upstream are truly replenished. APGI provided its monthly update to FERC today acknowledging the drastic improvements in project conditions this week but wisely requested permission to continue with the reduced discharge requirements they have been operating under for the last month. Enjoy the holiday weekend with plenty of water for recreation but be VERY cautious and alert while boating. The flash flooding brought us plenty of water but it also brought LOTS of floating debris with it. There are many trees, logs and other floating and submerged objects creating significant safety hazards. Nothing spoils a fun day on the lake more than a damaging your boat and endangering the safety of you and your passengers.

As I think most people expected, the NC budget proposal for a study of whether North Carolina should create a "Yadkin Power Authority" to "produce, distribute and sell hydroelectric power for the benefit of the people of North Carolina" did not actually make it into the final NC Budget. That has not ended the Stanley County quest to hold Alcoa Aluminum accountable for any environmental violations they may have committed as the project license holder in the past by having our legislators intervene in the relicensing of the Yadkin Project. On July 18th the NC Senate ratified and presented to our Governor Senate Bill 1046 calling for a study of the impacts on the State of the potential issuance of a new fifty-year license by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") to Alcoa Power Generating, Inc. It's interesting how the head of NC DENR (appointed by our Governor) was primarily interested in expanding Morrow Mountain State Park during the relicensing process. Against the wishes of thousands of NC citizens, our state agency representatives agreed to minimal restrictions in the river basin as long as it got the State the opportunity to acquire those 2500 acres belonging to APGI adjacent to the state park. Now, after the fact, our Governor and other legislators are rallying to protect the watershed DENR used as a sacrificial lamb to gain access to the land. It is unfortunate our Legislators slept through the formal relicensing process and are now delaying the implementation of the limited improvements that those who did actively participate were able to obtain. Had they simply instructed our State Agency representatives to actually do their job and exert their statutory authority during the process all of these delays might have been avoided.

Meanwhile we continue to be plagued by extreme drought conditions and are experiencing new record low river flows almost daily. Without relief soon both High Rock and Badin may drop to levels making recreational boating hazardous. To date the Drought Management Team has done a very credible job of making recommendations based on the proposed Low Inflow Protocol to protect our lakes and the river basin. APGI is scheduled to update FERC on conditions here at the end of July. Given the current conditions it would be reasonable to expect them to request additional discharge cutbacks to protect what little water reserves we have for as long as possible.

On Thursday, FERC posted their Notice Soliciting Comments, Motions To Intervene and Protests on APGI's variance request to temporarily reduce the discharges from the project in response to the continuing drought conditions. As they often do in cases where time is of the essence, they gave APGI permission to implement the reductions and reserved the right to later modify the request based on Comments received. This should allow APGI to implement the cutbacks this week and should stabilize both High Rock and Badin for now. Recent rains have improved river flow conditions slightly but as soon as the rain stops river flows again drop to dangerously low levels emphasizing the fact that ground water conditions upstream are still very bad. To add insult to injury, Winston Salem has asked the US Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the discharges from W. Kerr Scott Dam to conserve water and stretch their drinking water supply as far as possible. This would be a reasonable request in light of the present drought conditions but ONLY if they also implement water use restrictions as well. At this time they have not implemented any conservation measures, they are simply further reducing the amount of water coming down the river.

As we have stated several times in June, we find ourselves plagued by extreme drought conditions once again. APGI and the Drought Management Team have been watching the conditions closely and stated they were committed to managing the Project as closely as possible to the terms included in the Relicensing Settlement Agreement submitted to FERC. During the Drought Management Team conference call held on July 3rd, all participants agreed the trigger conditions for the proposed Low Inflow Protocol have been met and concluded it was time to implement discharge cutbacks until inflow conditions improve. Since the terms of the RSA are only a proposal until FERC issues a permanent new license for the Project, APGI is required to request a variance to the terms of their present license before they can implement the reduced discharge rate. Today they filed that request with FERC as well as requesting permission to balance the drawdowns of High Rock and Badin if further drawdowns became necessary. Historically FERC has approved such requests pretty quickly since time is generally of the essence when they are made. With any luck the levels at High Rock and Badin can be stabilized and further drawdowns can be minimized. You can read the Variance Request and Minutes of the DMT conference call HERE.

Throughout the relicensing process no one seemed to have much luck getting the interest or support of our influential elected officials. Stanley County recently submitted their comments on FERC's Final Environmental Impact Statement and it appears their political machine may slowly but surely be getting the attention of our legislators and persuading them to support a delay in issuing a new license, challenging the 50 year license term requested and even contemplating a possible takeover of the project by the State. Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue recently became the fourth elected official from NC to submit a request to FERC asking to delay the process while the state completes additional "economic and environmental" studies. She notes that the balance of private versus public benefit associated with the operation of the dams to the surrounding communities is now significantly different than it was when the dams were first licensed. Many of Stanley County's grievances stem from loss of employment and potentially toxic waste associated with the now closed Alcoa Smelting Plant in Badin NC. In order to disassociate the lucrative FERC license from the potential of costly pollution mitigation requirements during the relicensing of Project 297, about 8 years ago Alcoa Aluminum created APGI as a wholly owned subsidiary and transferred ownership of all the assets associated with power generation to the company. To date APGI has been successful in separating those issues from the relicensing of Project 2197 by claiming the current licensee is not responsible for the sins of their parent company. FERC recently replied to the request of Governor Easly to delay the issue of the new license for the project for one year. In their response they note that all of the required steps for relicensing have been completed and the final Environmental Impact Statement containing the staffs analysis of the proposed projects and reasonable alternatives was issued on April 18, 2008. They made no commitment to honor any part of his request by simply stating "No decision has been made concerning the scheduling of this project for Commission action. We will let you know of any final Commission licensing decision." They sent the exact same letter in response to a similar request from Senator Philip F. Berger and will likely send it to the other two requests they have recieved to delay the issue of the new license for one year.

It appears the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality may finally be stepping up to the plate and putting some new pressure on APGI concerning pollution generated by the Alcoa Aluminum Smelting Plant. After reviewing the "Badin Lake Swim/Picnic Area and Badin Boat Access Sediment Assessment", DWQ cancelled their original 401 Water Quality Certification for the relicensing of the project and told APGI to file a new certification request. When APGI submitted their new request for a 401 Water Quality Certification DWQ responded with two new requirements:

Additional Information Requested:

1. APGI must provide a written plan for sampling the discharge from the Narrows (Badin Lake) dam for pollutants to include heavy metals and organic pollutants including volatile organic compounds, acid-extractable compounds, base-neutral compounds, and PCBs using a priority pollutant scan analyzed in accordance with 40 CFR Part 136. This analysis muat be conducted by a DWQ-eartified laboratory.

2. APGI shall provide a written plan for sampling lake sediment in a transect from the Alcoa Plant site to the discharge from the dam for those heavy metals and compounds including PCBs that are present in the sediment in the swimming area as reported in the Bndin Lake Swim/Picnic Area and Badin Boat Access Sediment Assessment, Stanly County, North Carolina dated January 2008 as prepared by Environmental Services, Inc. This analysis must be conducted by a DWQ-cortified laboratory.

Yesterday the Independent Tribune and today the Winston Salem Journal reported that our North Carolina legislators may be contemplating a state takeover of hydroelectric-power plants along the Yadkin River. A Provision that would have the state study the issue was inserted into the 2008-09 budget bill that was passed earlier this month by the N.C. Senate. The provision calls for a study of whether North Carolina should create a "Yadkin Power Authority" to "produce, distribute and sell hydroelectric power for the benefit of the people of North Carolina." Senate and House leaders are negotiating a final state budget plan, and it is unclear whether the hydroelectric proposal will be included in the final budget.

Alcoa contends their past stewardship of the Yadkin River resources has earned them the right to continue operating the project and maintaining complete control over the natural resources of the river basin. They are however taking this threat seriously and have already commissioned a poll they say indicates the citizens of NC are opposed to a State takeover by a margin of 3 to 1.

With any luck maybe this new found support by our NC Legislators can correct any slick corporate legal maneuvers of the past and eventually hold "Alcoa Inc." accountable for any questionable acts committed by ANY Alcoa companies associated with the project in the past. Meanwhile, these ongoing issues are delaying the implementation of many of the positive changes included in the Relicensing Settlement Agreement including the Low Inflow Protocol designed to protect the river basin in times of extreme drought like those currently being experienced in the Yadkin River basin once again.

Welcome to what is historically the busiest week of the year at High Rock Lake. The week of July 4th brings people out in masses to vacate, enjoy some great water based recreation and celebrate Independence Day. There are special activities planned at numerous places around the lake and two great Fireworks Displays scheduled for Friday night. Along with the increased boating activities you can also expect to find a corresponding increase in law enforcement presence on the water. While they will be working to ensure your safety while on the water, at least one agency has stated they will be specifically watching for those operating a watercraft while under the influence of alcohol. Combined with an increased law enforcement presence on the roads during the holiday period there is one rule that everyone should be following to ensure a safe and happy holiday celebration - HAVE A DESIGNATED DRIVER!!! Nothing ruins a vacation quicker than a trip to the county jail or even worse, a trip to the hospital. Don't forget the two most recent new regulations on the water; Life jackets must be worn at all times by those under 13 and "NO WAKE" within 100 feet of a stopped law enforcement watercraft.

This summer is again proving to be a challenge to maintain the water levels in High Rock Lake due to extreme drought conditions. River flows have been steadily declining and are continuing to fall. Yesterday's flow at Yadkin College marked a new ALL TIME LOW river flow for that date and it appears the trend may continue. Inflow is currently significantly below the discharges required in Alcoa's license and High Rock has been steadily falling at a rate of about 6 inches per week. Alcoa has been discharging no more than the minimum required for many weeks and unlike some times in the past they have done an excellent job of distributing the water shortages across the entire project and balancing the drawdowns across all of the lakes in the project. They continue to meet regularly with the Drought Management Team and have stated they are committed to managing the project as closely as possible to the terms included in the Low Inflow Protocol that is included in the proposal for their new license. The triggers for the LIP are based on inflow rolling averages and lake levels. The lakes have to be below their Normal Minimum Elevation (NME) and inflow conditions below a specific historical average before discharges are curtailed under the LIP. Since conditions are generally evaluated at the beginning of each month, timing can be critical in determining when cutbacks are implemented. The NME for High Rock in the LIP is -4 Feet and we passed that magic point yesterday, just in time for the July evaluation. With any luck the DMT will soon be able to reduce the required discharges ( with FERC approval ) and slow the rate at which High Rock and Badin are falling until we can get some badly needed rain.

After almost six months of near normal rainfall the upper Yadkin River Basin is again plagued by severe drought conditions and dangerously low ground water supplies. The NC Drought Monitor has not yet officially reclassified the area as "Exceptional" drought but it only takes a quick glance at the USGS River flows for the last 30 days to see that we are once again approaching the record low river flow conditions experienced in 2002. Since APGI has been issued a temporary license to continue operations under the terms of their old license they are again caught in the situation of being required to discharge 1610 cfs from High Rock while the total inflows are more in the 1000 to 1200 cfs range. Near record setting temperatures only compound the situation by driving up the demand (and price) for electricity generated by APGI. Lake levels at High Rock and Badin have begun to drop slowly and unless cutbacks are implemented very soon the speed at which they drop will increase daily. APGI is still operating under the terms of the Drought Contingency Plan created after the devastating events in 2002 and is required to hold monthly conference calls of the Drought Management Team. The most recent meeting was scheduled for June 5th but APGI has not published the results of the meeting on their web site at this time. Since APGI is obviously discharging more water from High Rock than is currently coming in, it appears there was no cutback agreed to during that meeting. The minutes of the meeting held on May 1 contained the following paragraph praising the effectiveness of properly managing the water resources in the river basin:

"The Pee Dee River Coalition (PDRC) reported that the downstream municipal and industrial water users in South Carolina are enjoying a high river and plenty of water. The PDRC stated that the Low Inflow Protocol, which was used as a 'go-by' during last summer's drought, has proven to be a success story."

Last year proved that timely implementation of the Low Inflow Protocol developed during the relicensing process will truly protect all portions of the river basin, not just those downstream. Prompt implementation is the key to successfully managing the water resources throughout the entire river basin. With only 2.4 inches of rain in May and 0.05 inches so far in June we are very quickly approaching the point of no return without a significant increase in rainfall or a reduction of the 1610 cfs discharge requirement. Unfortunately the delays in issuing the new FERC license make the implementation of cutbacks more voluntary for APGI under the Drought Contingency Plan instead of being mandatory based on specific conditions as defined in the LIP.

The voters of Davidson County voiced their desire for change yesterday by casting more votes for political newcomer Cathy Dunn than any of the "Good Old Boys" running for reelection. Our grateful thanks go to everyone who recognizes the need for change on the Board of Commissioners and representation from the southern part of the county. Cathy has proven herself as a high energy go getter and will make a great addition to the Davidson County Board of Commissioners. Positive change sometimes comes slowly and upgrading the Board won't happen overnight but can be accomplished more effectively one member at a time. Remember this fall to again TRIPLE the effectiveness of your vote for change by voting only for Cathy for County Commissioner.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued Alcoa a new license to operate Project 2197. Unfortunately it wasn't the license with numerous improvements hundreds of people dedicated years to create. The license issued today is a one year temporary license allowing APGI to continue operating the project under the term of their old license. Thanks to the last minute intervention of several politicians who were apparently oblivious to the 5 year process our state agencies were participating in, the new license may not be issued for another year. The Commission still has a few weeks to determine if they will delay the process and respond to the correspondence they received from our elected officials. The Temporary License will automatically renew annually on April 30th until a new license is issued so APGI probably doesn't care how long it takes to resolve the recently raised issues. Until then they will continue to operate under the more lucrative terms of the old license and will not be required to begin any of the improvements or enhancements built into the new license terms.

If you are a registered Republican voter in Davidson County, Tuesday will be your chance to add someone to the Davidson County Board of Commissioners who REALLY does care about the future of southern Davidson County and High Rock Lake. Casting a single vote for Cathy Dunn will provide a significant boost in our chances of adding someone to the Board who doesn't just care about how much tax revenues the residents of High Rock Lake can contribute for the board members to use for projects in other parts of the county. It's time to add someone to the "Good Old Boys Club" who REALLY understands the issues facing businesses and residents in Davidson County and recognizes High Rock Lake for the HUGE asset it can be to the county in the future with the right investments in infrastructure services.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (it's big and will take a while to download) has been released by the FERC for the relicensing of Project 2197. Not surprisingly, it looks almost exactly like the Draft EIS and is a perfect example of how Big Business and Governmental Agencies take care of themselves first, then each other. Your wishes as a citizen for our elected/appointed representatives do the RIGHT thing are fully considered and addressed only if want something that is good for them. As you can see in these EXCERPTS from the document, the Commission notes that there were 2 other High Rock Lake operation scenarios considered, our 4 ft./6 ft. proposal and a 2 ft. year round proposal. In virtually every section, the alternatives were stated to provide better protection of our natural resources, wildlife, and recreational opportunities, increased recreational spending by visitors and increased property taxes benefiting the local counties. Evidently none of those things were as important as a tiny increase in profits ($126,140) for APGI. Even more frustrating is the fact almost everyone who signed the Relicensing Settlement Agreement forfeited these very real project enhancements to satisfy their desire to gain access to APGI land holdings. They didn’t actually get the land donated for conservation, just the right to attempt to buy the land from APGI. These lands were identified in the Final Environmental Impact Statement as being outside the scope of the FERC licensing process and “would not require Commission oversight or inclusion in any new license”. The only real financial impact to APGI comes from the terms the Commission included to mitigate the threats to the Salisbury Water intakes and their sewage plant. APGI tried in vain to sweep these issues under the rug during the relicensing process, but in the end, the Commission found them responsible for mitigating these flooding threats. This issue will probably be challenged by APGI for years to come.

In any event, the terms recommended by the Commission represent a significant improvement over the past. Going into the relicensing process, we tried to set our goals realistically. We knew from the beginning that REAL influential support would be a challenge to come by and APGI wasn’t going to voluntarily give up anything. The long drawn out process would (and did) eventually lose the interest of all but the most dedicated. The original goals for SaveHighRockLake.org posted on the web site in 2002 were pretty basic and simple.

These goals were tweaked many times throughout the process to include greater detail and more closely align with the goals of other groups or agencies to strengthen the overall support for our original core goals. In the end, the only thing we didn’t quite reach was the drawdown limit of 8 feet. With any luck, the 10 foot winter drawdown limit really will result in normal operations that rarely exceed a 9 foot drawdown as APGI has claimed. Overall, we will walk away from this process and consider the efforts of everyone who joined and supported SaveHighRockLake.org a HUGE success and believe High Rock Lake has been "SAVED" to the extent we could realistically expect !!!!!

If you live in Davidson County and would really like to insure High Rock Lake gets better representation in the future, you might want to consider casting a SINGLE vote for Cathy Dunn for County Commissioner. Two Davidson County Commissioners who are currently up for re-election were recently overheard taking credit for the improvements seen so far and negotiated for the future at High Rock Lake. NOTHING could be farther from the truth!!! We were at every single relicensing meeting from the beginning of the process and I can tell you neither of these politicians EVER attended a single relicensing or negotiations meetings. Max Walser was the only Commissioner who participated in the process. If you read the Relicensing Settlement Agreement it should be obvious that Davidson County got absolutely nothing out of it. In reality, they supported many of us participating more actively, but did little to exercise their governmental/political clout. This is very unfortunate since High Rock Lake is the single largest asset in Davidson County and the homeowners there represent the third largest tax base in the county. Only the cities of Lexington and Thomasville contribute more to the county’s tax base. If you would like to see some real support for southern Davidson County and High Rock Lake issues on the Davidson County Board of Commissioners in the future, consider voting for Cathy Dunn. Cathy is a long time resident of High Rock Lake and has successfully operated the Biscuit King restaurants in Lexington for several decades. She understands the issues county residents and businesses face on a daily basis and will tirelessly pursue many of the long overdue changes needed in Davidson County. Check Cathy out at her WEB Site. Even though you are allowed to vote for up to three candidates, casting a vote for only one candidate is much more effective at getting the right candidate elected. Every additional vote you cast for another candidate can effectively cancel your vote for your preferred candidate. Fred McClure proved that during the last election when he campaigned heavily in the southern part of the county and professed his future support of issues important to High Rock Lake enthusiasts and residents. Two of us voted ONLY for Fred based on his promises and believe it or not he won his seat by exactly two votes. Had we also voted for two additional candidates the best he could have hoped for was a tie. Unfortunately that’s pretty much the last time we heard from good old Fred. We won’t fall for the political BS and make the same mistake again.

Alcoa Relicensing Update:

Alcoa's license from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to operate it's hydroelectric project on the Yadkin River expires this month. Hundreds of people have spent thousands of man hours negotiating the terms to be included in the new license that is scheduled to be issued this month. At this time, it appears that the new license may not be issued until several outstanding issues are resolved. Salisbury has submitted a significant challenge to the Commission concerning Alcoa's responsibilities in protecting the city's water and sewage facilities located along the Yadkin River. This is a matter that really should have been addressed years ago in the earlier stages of the relicensing process. Alcoa attempted to skirt the issue and minimize their responsibilities by providing a bare minimum of relevant information about the issues to the relicensing groups. That tactic might have worked for many of the issues being championed by other groups without significant financial resources and legal representation. Salisbury realized their issues were probably not going to be addressed properly in the process so they took it upon themselves to have the necessary studies performed by consultants and submitted these studies directly to the Commissions representatives responsible for the preparation of the new license. Their legal representatives insured that the Commission reviewed the information submitted and gave it the appropriate consideration before the commission released their Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project. FERC saw the potential merit in Salisbury's submissions and included remediation measures in DEIS which would cost Alcoa millions of dollars in the future. This issue is still being challenged by both sides and has delayed the Commissions release of the Final Environmental Impact Statement. Stanley County has recently issued several challenges to the new license including a very recent attempt to get the Governor of NC to challenge the right of a private company to control the natural resources of NC for corporate profit. Stanley County Commissioner Lindsay Dunevant said the thought of having one of the state's primary water sources owned by a multi-national corporation that could be bought or sold by a foreign nation is a "scary thought.". He persuaded the Davidson County Commissioners to pass a resolution similar to the one in Stanley County to show their support of the challenge. They even organized a protest rally in Raleigh yesterday to draw attention to the issue. Unfortunately, as Commissioner Walser said, "It's probably a day late and a bunch of dollars short". Where were these concerned elected officials four years ago when we needed them to throw around their political weight DURING the relicensing process? They always seem to be the last to know about and react to a problem, trying to fix it after the fact instead of being proactive and addressing it before it becomes a problem. Another prime example of how our politicians work would be the advertisements being run now by or Gov. Mike Easley about the need to conserve our water resources because of the extreme drought conditions in NC. They started showing up on TV after the conditions had improved significantly instead of when we REALLY had problems. Until all of the outstanding issues are settled, the Commission may withhold the new license and Alcoa will continue to operate under the more profitable terms of their existing license. This last minute HELP from our politicians will likely do little more than delay the issue of the new license and the implementation of the benefits everyone else worked so diligently to obtain. For now, the good news is APGI will most likely continue to operate the project as they have for the last year or so to minimize the chance of any negative publicity until they get their new license.

This Sunday, December 2nd, The High Rock Lake River Rats will be holding their 20th annual Christmas Charity Fund Raiser. This is their biggest event of the year and EVERY penny raised will go to those in our community to help make their Christmas one to remember. Over the last 10 years they have given an average of more than $20,000 per year to help hundreds of families and make Christmas a joyous occasion for thousands of children. You can help make it happen again this year in two ways. One would be to donate items to the River Rats. The bigger the better, but any donation would be greatly appreciated and it is TAX DEDUCTIBLE!!! The second would be to attend the event and bid generously on the huge assortment of items they will have. So far they have everything from NASCAR Die Cast cars to furniture items worth more than $1000. Donations can be brought to the Boat Dock Beach Club on Thursday from 7 to 9 pm and Saturday morning from 11 to 2. On Sunday, the silent auction will run from 3 to 5:45 and the Live auction will begin at 6. As always they will have food, a Half & Half drawing and a raffle for a very nice liquor basket. Come with an open and generous heart, enjoy the fun and help those less fortunate in our community. Remember, IT'S FOR THE KIDS!!!!

The END is NEAR!!! At least for project 2197 relicensing. If you didn't see it in the mainstream media, FERC released their Draft Environmental Impact Statement a couple of weeks ago. As with most corporate and governmental agency endeavors, those who spent the most money and involved lawyers throughout the process appear to have gotten the concessions they wanted. Everyone else got token concessions (if any at all) to give the illusion that all interests were considered during the process. To no one's surprise, APGI got almost everything they requested whether they produced adequate justifications or not. About the only exception was the issue of sediment around the Salisbury water system intakes and increased flooding hazards. Salisbury spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their own studies and sent their lawyers to every meeting. Seems that FERC decided they did have a valid issue and decided APGI would have to fund the mitigation of that problem. APGI immediately retaliated with a VERY nasty legal discovery request demanding the right to interrogate everyone involved in the Salisbury studies and requiring them to respond to every APGI request within days. Like many legal "BULLY" maneuvers, the discovery request included pages of definitions for the complicated words included in it such as "and", "or", "each", "every" and "any". Fortunately for Salisbury the Commission wasn't swayed by the legal bully tactic and notified APGI that they felt there was already adequate information available in the public record and the Draft EIS for APGI to provide comments on their analysis. Unfortunately for the rest of us, if APGI didn't voluntarily agree to the address our concerns, we got the minimum they were able to negotiate with the parties that signed the Relicensing Settlement Agreement. In our case, it means the parties signing the agreement were willing to allow APGI to continue winter drawdowns at High Rock as low as 10 feet below full pond even though APGI did not produce a single viable study documenting the need or environmental enhancement of doing so. They were willing to concede the protection of the environment at High Rock and the safety of those who use it for recreation in exchange for something THEY wanted. The interests from South Carolina wanted more regulated river flows downstream and in some cases flows that exceeded what would naturally occur in the river basin. To satisfy this desire they needed access to some of the water stored in High Rock to supplement what would occur naturally so they were fine with drawing High Rock down during what is normally the dry part of the year. The NC State Agencies and many of the conservation groups participating in the process were VERY interested in acquiring land owned by APGI that was NOT part of the project. In exchange for the opportunity to purchase thousand of acres owned by APGI they were willing to concede to what amounts to the minimum level of protection at High Rock. APGI simply stated in their documentation that their 10 foot proposal was better environmentally than their historical practice of drawdowns as much as 13 feet (even though their own web site shows the average drawdown for those months has historically been about 7 feet). Seems they completely missed the concept that if 10 foot is environmentally better that 13 foot, then common sense is all you need to know that 6 foot would be better than 10 foot. They also completely ignored the fact that anything past a 6 foot drawdown makes nearly all of the 2800+ privately permitted piers (public access points) and boat ramps either unsafe or completely unusable. The Commission even stated in their Draft EIS that since the drawdowns would occur during what is normally the dry part of the year, they would NOT be effective or considered as a "flood control" measure.

The FERC has scheduled what is likely to be the LAST public meeting pertaining to the relicensing of Project 2197.

Date: November 14, 2007
Time: 7:00 to 9:30 p.m. (EST)
Place: James Varick Auditorium
Address: Livingstone College, 701 West Monroe Street,
Salisbury, NC 28144

I'm a little surprised they couldn't find somewhere a little more obscure for the final meeting to be held. This will be YOUR LAST CHANCE for those who are DIRECTLY affected to request the Commission to "Do the Right Thing" and limit the winter drawdowns to no more than 6 feet. Ask them to explain to the people they are supposed to be representing why they would allow a plan that is obviously inferior environmentally to the one proposed by the public. The Draft EIS already states that it is not for flood control. There were no studies presented to them to document there was a need or even a purpose for a winter drawdown other than corporate profits to be sent to Pennsylvania. Ironically, there was actually an increase in annual generating capacity with winter drawdowns limited to no more than 6 feet. The Commission is NOT responsible for guaranteeing any level of profit to the licensee but the ARE obligated to insure appropriate protection of the environment throughout the ENTIRE river basin. The Draft EIS recommendations should be purely environmentally based. They are also obligated to insure the terms of the new license reflects a balance of ALL stakeholder interests, not just the licensee and those downstream whose primary motivation is monetary. Those who signed the RSA are done with relicensing and are obligated to support it. They will NOT be there helping you. To date the Commission has received exactly ONE letter from the public supporting the 10 foot winter drawdown proposal, about 15 that generically supported the RSA (from those who signed it because they got what THEY wanted in exchange) and about 225 opposing the 10 foot drawdowns from those who are directly affected by it. Almost everyone supporting the RSA did so because they got something from APGI they would not have been able to get otherwise. In many cases it was something totally unrelated to the Project itself but in the long run was less important to APGI than the right to continue manipulating our natural resources at their discretion for corporate profits.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved the variances needed for Alcoa to reduce the discharges from High Rock Lake and balance the drawdowns at High Rock and Badin. In typical Federal Agency fashion, they didn't necessarily do it quickly. Even though the Drought Contingency Plan approved by the Agency contained all the provisions necessary to insure changes would not be enacted without adequate involvement of the NC and SC natural resource agency representatives, the Commission just had to delay the implementation with additional questions. The delays cost us about an additional foot of water at High Rock before the cutbacks could be implemented. One of the more interesting aspects of protecting the downstream watershed is the fact that High Rock and Badin are the only lakes REQUIRED to suffer during periods of drought. Lake Tillery is and has been maintained within inches of being full and there are no signs that it will change. During the Drought Contingency Plan conference call Progress Energy representatives indicated that storage at Tillery COULD become available if necessary but so far there doesn't seem to be any indication that will happen any time soon. Ironic since Tillery and Blewett Falls are the actual controlling source of the downstream flows important to the rest of the Pee Dee River basin. The FERC has issued a solicitation for comments and Motions to Intervene pertaining to the downstream cutbacks. Lets just hope the positive comments in appreciation of the prompt response to adverse conditions outweigh the possible complaints from SC interests about reducing the downstream river flows.

Just in case you missed it (like many of us did) there is a new law you need to be aware of. Most of us are now familiar with the law requiring you to slow down or change lanes on the highway when approaching a stopped law enforcement officer or other emergency vehicle with their blue lights on. There is a similar law that requires you to slow down to NO WAKE speeds when within 100 feet of Wildlife Officers or Sherriff boats with their blue lights on. In narrow channels and creeks the distance requirement is reduced to 50 feet. The intent is to help protect boaters, officers and emergency workers. Protect them as well as yourself and avoid an EASY TICKET by being sure to swing wide of stopped law enforcement officers when at all possible or slowing to the appropriate NO WAKE speeds if passing within 100 feet is necessary.

It looks like everyone involved with the management of the Yadkin River Basin learned their lessons in 2002. River flows have been decreasing all year. We have struggled all year with our concerns about the low river flows and have tried diligently to avoid crying "wolf" for many months. Many times this year we barely avoided the downward spiral of dropping lake levels thanks to a last minute rain storm that saved us for another week or two. In May, APGI began cutting back their electricity production due to low river flows and Rule 8 of the current Rule Curve used to manage water levels at High Rock Lake. Unfortunately the continued high temperatures and deceasing river flows eventually began to drain High Rock Lake for the second time in five years. Thanks to the Drought Management Plan enacted after the drought of 2002 this year should be better for the entire river basin.

During the Drought Contingency Plan conference call held on August 22nd, all of the parties involved recommended cutting discharges from the APGI project from 1400 cfs to 900 cfs until river flow conditions improved. They also recommended that withdrawals from High Rock be limited to only 700 cfs until Badin lake reached the same level as High Rock. This should slow the descent of High Rock for a while and then both lakes will be drawn down at corresponding rates. Hopefully these measures will be enough to protect High Rock and Badin until some relief from the drought comes along. Lets hope that happens before things get significantly worse and additional measures have to be implemented. August through October are historically dry months and everyone is encouraged to do their part to conserve as much water as possible until rainfall levels increase throughout North Carolina.

The Drought Contingency Plan conference calls will be increased in frequency to improve the reaction time to changing river conditions until the river basin is no longer designated as (D2) severe drought and river flows have risen somewhat. Our thanks to everyone involved in the DCP conference calls for responding quickly to the adverse conditions this time and implementing these drastically needed changes before things got out of hand!!

We can always tell when you guys are concerned about the conditions at High Rock Lake. The first sign is an increase in emails asking questions and the second is a significant rise in visits to our web site. Both things are now true. Our site visits have almost doubled in the the last 30 days.

We have experienced an extremely hot summer throughout the Southeast and power demands (and peak prices) have been very high. This encourages independent power producers such as APGI to operate at their highest possible capacity. Current river flows coming into High Rock Lake are more than 70% below normal and High Rock has been dropping steadily for weeks. The drought conditions in the Yadkin River Basin are continuing to worsen every day and as you can see by the graph of the Yadkin College flow sensor since April 20th, the ground water resources upstream are drying up.
Graph of DAILY Discharge, cubic feet per second

Graph of DAILY Discharge, cubic feet per second

Average daily river flows in the Yadkin have been steadily declining since the beginning of the year and the year to date rainfall is once again WAY below average. At this point the river flows are are only slightly higher than they were during 2002. Since APGI is still operating under the old Rule Curve for High Rock Lake they are still required to discharge a daily average of 1400 cfs until September 15th unless operational changes are recommended by the participants of the Drought Contingency Plan. At that rate, with the low inflows being recorded, High Rock can be expected to drop from 6 to 10 inches (possibly more) every week until conditions improve. With the lake already more than 5 feet below full pond many piers and boat ramps are already unusable and many residents have discovered their boats are already sitting on the bottom.

After the 2002 drought the FERC ordered APGI to continue operating under the Drought Contingency Plan developed then. This plan includes recommendations for Quarterly meetings or conference calls of the designated participants. Any time more than 10% of the river basin is designated as being in a moderate drought (D1) as we have been for some time, the meetings or conference calls are supposed to be held monthly. The last conference call was held on June 29th. As conditions have worsened it would have been prudent to escalate the calls to a bi-weekly basis as originally recommended in the DCP but somehow they appear to have been shifted to bi-monthly instead. The next conference call is not scheduled until August 22. According to the NC Drought Monitor web site, the entire Yadkin river basin in NC has now been elevated to D2 (severe drought) status. Without significant rain, relief from the ongoing heat wave or operational changes, High Rock lake will most likely be 8 feet or more below full pond before the 1400 cfs discharge requirement ends on September 15th. The bad news is that once Rule 8 of the rule curve expires on September 15th, the remaining rules will actually allow significantly higher discharge rates allowing APGI to actually increase power production and accelerate the rate at which High Rock is falling. The weather forecasters and APGI are most likely hoping the prediction of an active hurricane season this year will push some significant rains over the area and provide some relief from the drought. Unfortunately it will take prolonged significant rainfall increases to bring the dwindling ground water resources upstream back to normal levels.

Now would be an EXCELLENT time to email or call the NC Dept of Natural Resources and strongly encourage their participants in the August 22nd DCP conference call to recommend operational changes at High Rock until the current drought conditions have improved. You can go to the NC Drought Monitor web site and send them an email message similar to this one we sent them today.

Why the sudden outburst of Duke Fever? Because we LOVE them!! Not Duke University, Duke Energy!! Here's why. Back before the FERC scoping meetings were held, we encouraged everyone to attend the meetings and ask FERC to limit drawdowns at High Rock Lake to no more than 6 feet. There was a great turnout for the meetings. FERC heard our plea and required APGI to supply the generation and financial information for a 4/6 foot scenario and a 3/6 foot scenario for future High Rock Lake operations . When APGI supplied the requested data, they accurately reported the generation differences but HIGHLY exaggerated the financial losses associated with them. In early May we filed what appeared to be the only challenge to the figures provided and demonstrated to the best of our ability what the financials SHOULD have been based on the figures used throughout the negotiations process. Unfortunately WE don't have access to the power industry expertise necessary to effectively challenge all of their claimed losses. Fortunately, it appears that our efforts may have influenced someone with all the right credentials to stand up and be counted also. Today Duke Energy filed a subsequent challenge that not only clearly supported our contentions, but provided the expertise that could only come from those with access to real world power industry data. Using real and accurate power sales data spanning several years they truly demonstrated how absurd the figures APGI had supplied really were. They summarized their filing with the following comment:

"Duke believes that APGI should base lake level impact measurements on the rates that were established during the negotiations process or else provide a more detailed explanation of how the value impacts used in its AIR response were derived. Its explanation should include the generation amounts and prices assured for each of the premium products with simulation results that support its assumptions that the energy shifts eliminate its ability to participate in premium product energy sales."

Lets hope this will encourage FERC to "Do the Right Thing" and base their decisions on the facts as they have been established throughout the relicensing process, not on the hocus-pocus creative accounting methods used by APGI once the negotiations were closed. I might be wrong but my instincts tell me the only way APGI can win this particular debate is for the "Great and Powerful Almighty Wizard" to come out from behind the curtain and reveal more about their operations and profits than they really want the rest of the world to know.

The BassMaster American tournament begins at High Rock Lake on May 17th and 18th. The pros will blast off from the Southmont landing on Hwy 8 and weigh in each evening at the Greensboro Coliseum. The top 12 fishermen will then move to Lake Townsend in Greensboro on the 19th. The top 6 from Saturday will fish the final day for a grand prize of $250,000. There will be hundreds of spectators watching the pros fish so please be courteous and stay far enough away to allow them to fish without interruptions from the fans. You can get full details about the event as well as watch the weigh in live at 4 pm each day on the BassMaster web site.

Clean Water for North Carolina announces a series of public meetings to be hosted in communities along the Yadkin River basin. The Yadkin is the state’s second largest river basin, which supplies water for the needs of over a million residents, as well as agriculture, recreation, and industry. there is a meeting scheduled at Catawba College in Salisbury on May 17 to provide an opportunity for residents along the Yadkin to share their concerns about the River, to learn what efforts are already underway and to sign up for future contacts if they wish to be involved in forming a new organization to protect the River, Get the full details at the NC Conservation Network web site.

The official FERC relicensing process seems to be moving along much more quickly than the negotiations phases ever did. Many stakeholders requested the Commission to consider alternatives to the 4'/10' operating guide for High Rock Lake being proposed by APGI in their Relicensing Settlement Agreement. The FERC representatives heard your requests to limit winter drawdowns to no more than 6 feet and REQUESTED APGI to supply data for the generation differences associated with a 3'/6' and a 4'/6' alternative. On April 26, APGI submitted their RESPONSE to the FERC request and appear to have accurately reported the generation losses associated with each of the alternatives. In the real world the difference between their proposal and the 3'/6' alternative was less than 0.5% of their projected generating capabilities per year ( 5,300 MWH ). Based on the values that have been used throughout the relicensing process to value the generation and compare alternatives, this amounts to a difference of $247,135. APGI REALLY wants to keep the 10 foot winter drawdown capabilities so they attempted to creatively redefine the way these power differences should be valued. They ignored the fact THEY had actually established the values to be used for all FERC filings and to value the generation of different model runs in June of 2005 at $48.40 per MWH On-Peak and $29.63 per MWH Off-Peak. This creative new accounting process instantly changed $247,135 into $3,683,200 and produced three sets of generation values, each based on entirely different standards than the "Base Case" used for all comparisons. Attempting to execute any reasonable type of comparison to determine the real financial impacts is impossible using the data supplied. If you have a little money to invest you might want to see if you can get their accountants to hold onto it for about 30 days. With any luck they'll be able to give you back 15 times the amount you gave them too. We have filed a COMMENT with the Commission challenging APGI's attempt to change the standards used throughout the relicensing process. We encouraged them to base their evaluations on environmental considerations and reject this blatant attempt to change the rules used for nearly two years and grossly overstate the financial impact. We also encouraged all of the other negotiations participants to protest as well since it should not have any bearing on their requirement to support the RSA they signed. Only time will tell if any of them are really interested in doing "The Right Thing" or simply protecting the "Bargained for Benefits" they received by agreeing to requiring only the bare minimum of changes to protect the environment at High Rock Lake. The FERC just released Scoping Document SD-2 and documented the issues they will be evaluating during their Environmental Assessment. We are very pleased to see they have included the evaluation of alternative operating guides for High Rock Lake as many stakeholders requested in the public scoping meetings as well as in written comments submitted to the Commission. Now we can only wait to find out if we have given them enough compelling evidence to persuade the Commission to mandate something other than 4'/10' for the future.

Have you found the little Easter Egg we hid on the Lake Info Page yet? It's a hidden link to our latest addition to let you know what's happening on the lake and what the weather conditions really LOOK like here. The next time you check the Lake Info page for the weather conditions here at the lake, try clicking on the ICON that represents the current weather conditions (sunny, partly cloudy, rain etc.) and you will be able to SEE for yourself what it looks like outside when you look our my front window. If you click on the camera icon you will get a fresh picture every 10 seconds and the video tape icons will play you a video of the last hour, the current day or all day yesterday. It's still in the development stages and we are searching for a way to locate it so the view is of Abbotts Creek looking SSW toward the Hwy 8 bridge. Drop the webmaster an email and let us know what you think.

Today marks the beginning of an important period at High Rock Lake. April 15th is the beginning of the "voluntary stabilization period" for fish spawning. This means Alcoa is committed to maintaining High Rock within 1 foot of the level it is on that day for the next 30 days. Alcoa tried diligently to pull High Rock down as much as possible before today to give them as much flexibility as possible during this stabilization period. In the process they successfully dewatered 66% of the high quality fish habitat used by many species for spawning. Fortunately good old Mother Nature must be on our side and provided significant quantities of rain just in time and pushed the lake up to within a foot of full pond. The good news now for the fish and everyone else is High Rock lake should remain within 2 feet of full pond until May 15th. Enjoy it while it lasts!!!

Just when everyone thinks the relicensing process is done, a new step in the process begins. APGI has completed the studies required, submitted their initial License Application, concluded their negotiations with the Authorized Representatives of various stakeholder groups and finalized their Relicensing Settlement Agreement which has been signed by 21 of the 33 Authorized Representatives participating in the negotiations. What most people did not realize is that this was NOT the conclusion of the process. It was simply the end of the preparation stages where stakeholders attempted to get APGI to voluntarily agree to "Do the Right Thing" and the beginning of the actual relicensing process directly involving FERC. FERC representatives then came to Lexington and Albemarle to hold public meetings to determine if all of the issues had been adequately addressed. Thanks to the hundreds of you attending these public meetings, what they found was that MANY of you did not feel the 21 Authorized Representatives signing the RSA had "Done the RIGHT Thing" to adequately represent YOUR interests as stakeholders in the project. This doesn't come as a big surprise since about 80% of those signing the RSA were there to protect interests outside the project boundaries or downstream of High Rock Lake. Since they got what they wanted, it was pretty easy for them to agree to the bare minimum of changes at High Rock Lake and allow APGI to continue operating High Rock almost exactly as they have for decades. For the most part, the remaining 20% only signed the RSA to protect the few improvements that had been gained at High Rock. To date we have not seen a single filing praising the benefits of the proposal to operate High Rock Lake as they have for decades, only statements indicating the proposal is acceptable to them since there are improvements being proposed downstream and APGI is agreeing to sell some of their land holdings OUTSIDE the project boundaries. Any process allowing groups of people protecting interests OUTSIDE the project boundaries to sacrifice the protection of the natural resources at High Rock Lake as a bargaining tool to get what THEY wanted is seriously flawed.

On March 13, FERC issued their "Notice of application ready for environmental analysis". This notice opened up a new 60 day period for comments, recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions from all stakeholders in the project. On March 14th the notified us that our request for an additional study to determine the effect of extreme water level fluctuations at High Rock Lake on recreational boating safety would not be necessary. They stated they already have adequate topographic data to determine the increase in boating hazards created by 10 foot drawdowns. The FERC representatives conducting the public meetings obviously heard our requests for limiting drawdowns at High Rock Lake to no more than 6 feet. In response to those comments, on March 27 the FERC sent a letter to APGI giving them 30 days to provide the modeling data pertinent to limiting drawdowns to no more than 6 feet. It seems apparent FERC will make their own determination of the environmental appropriateness of APGI's "Bargained for Benefits" as they are referred to in the RSA. Lets just hope they realize how inappropriate it is for those with no direct interest in High Rock Lake to sacrifice its protection as a "Bargained for Benefit" to obtain their own goals.

On March 28, APGI submitted their "CONSOLIDATED ANSWER OF ALCOA POWER GENERATING INC. TO PETITIONS TO INTERVENE AND COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO SCOPING DOCUMENT 1". In that response they specifically addressed our comments and offered their rebuttal to them. Considering their access to high priced legal experts, their responses seem to lack a lot of credibility. Their response to our request to limit the new license term to less than 50 years based on the projection of a 44% population increase in the area within the next 25 years was simply; "SaveHighRock provides no specifics or evidence that the present relicensing process is inadequate to permit a license longer than 30 years". Interestingly enough they offered absolutely NO explanation of how their process DID adequately address the impact of population increases. The response to our request for improved navigation and hazard markings as described on the FERC Hydropower web site stated our request was "outside the scope of the relicensing process". Technically it may be, but it doesn't appear to be any more "out of scope" than APGI offering to sell thousands of acres of land OUTSIDE the project boundaries to coerce other negotiations participants to sign off on allowing them to continue operating High Rock Lake as they have for decades. Their response to our request and supporting arguments to limit drawdowns to no more than 6 feet was almost confusing. It began with the following list of things that would be improved with a 10 foot drawdown versus a 12 to 15 foot drawdown. "Limiting the drawdown to 10 ft will protect a greater portion of the reservoir littoral zone from the effects of desiccation and freezing and will enable more organisms and plants to establish themselves in the reservoir. Limiting the winter drawdown will enhance the ability for reservoir refill each spring in time for fish spawning season and the prime spring fishing season. Limiting the winter drawdown to 10 ft will also prevent dewatering of significant areas of the reservoir bottom and so should help to reduce related problems such as sediment re-suspension. The limited winter drawdown will also help to improve the scenic quality of the reservoir during the late fall and winter." They totally disregard the exponential enhancements to these issues provided by limiting the drawdown to no more than 6 feet. Our contention that nearly all of the 2800 piers at High Rock were unsafe and/or unusable at a 10 foot drawdown was met with this confusing statement; "Since historic Shoreline Management Plan provisions required an eight foot depth at full pond in order o qualify for a permit to construct a pier, thereby assuring at least 2 feet of water during a 6 foot drawdown, the assertion regarding existing piers is patently false". I'm not sure exactly what part of "a pier required to reach a depth of 8 feet at full pond would still have 2 feet of water at the end during a 6 foot drawdown" is "patently false" but that IS exactly how my $3 tape measure shows it. Somehow they totally sidestep the fact that at 10 feet down almost every pier is guaranteed to be COMPLETELY out of the water. Last but not least they completely avoid addressing the fact there are NO studies supporting the need for or any documented benefits of a 10 foot winter drawdown.

We still have a little less than a month for FERC to hear from stakeholders WITH a direct interest in High Rock Lake who feel the proposal to allow 10 foot drawdowns is unacceptable. The more times they hear it the better. All we ask is for you to invest about 30 minutes of your time and 39 cents to help ensure the best future possible for High Rock Lake by sending FERC a statement by May 13th supporting our request for modifications to the RSA. Maybe they will compare the number of letters they get supporting a 10 foot drawdown to the number they get opposing it. If that's the case it should be a "no brainer" since so far we have seen exactly one letter supporting the 10 foot drawdown so the person could work on their pier and seawall. In the real world that seems to be a minor issue since the people at Badin and Tillery have been building piers and seawalls for 75 years while the lakes remained near full year round.

Magalie Roman Salas
Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20426

Daylight Savings Time has started giving you more opportunities to enjoy a little time on the lake enjoying a your favorite form of recreation at High Rock Lake. The lake is nearly full, the water is starting to warm up and it won't be long before some of the fish species begin to spawn. There is still a fair amount of floating debris from the big rainfalls upstream in the last two or three weeks so keep your eyes open for logs and even whole trees as you navigate around the lake.

The period for filing Scoping comments to FERC is officially over. Even though Alcoa published their Agreement In Principal for the project many months ago, they have waited until AFTER the period for Public Comments ended before releasing the final Relicensing Settlement Agreement. The RSA is the official agreement APGI will be requesting FERC to use as the basis for formulating the terms of their new license. How convenient (for them) you weren't allowed to see the official documents until it was TOO LATE for you to submit comments during the time period defined by FERC. APGI is still trying to get some of those who refused to sign the AIP to come back and sign the RSA. They have asked the Davidson County Commissioners to consider signing it now and they will be discussing it at their monthly Commissioners meeting on Tuesday evening. After reading it, we couldn't find any changes improving their management of High Rock Lake or any incentives that would benefit Davidson County in any way . We encourage everyone who cares about the future of High Rock to remain steadfast and united in asking FERC to "Do the RIGHT Thing" and include more appropriate terms for the management of High Rock in the new license. There is nothing stopping you from sending FERC a letter now supporting the proposals we offered in our Official Scoping Comments. In reality you can send them comments at any time and they become part of the official record for the project since you are not requesting that they consider changes that have not already been proposed. You can read our Official Scoping Comments and view Attachments A, B, C, D and E by clicking on the links. In the real world, the more times they hear from the general public in support of the changes we requested, the more likely they are to consider them. Simply address your comments to:

Magalie Roman Salas
Secretary
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20426

There are just a couple of days left for you to mail in your comments to FERC pertaining to the relicensing of Project 2197. Comments must be postmarked by Monday Feb. 26 or you can file them electronically on the FERC web site. Electronic filing is very easy and takes about 5 minutes but their web site will be down for maintenance until 8:30 Monday morning. We recently received the final RSA agreement that all of the agencies are expected to sign. It is very close to the Agreement in Principal. The only improvement we see is that High Rock Lake and Badin Lake are now linked so that once High Rock reaches it Normal Minimum Elevation (NME) of 4 or 10 feet depending on the time of year, Badin must be drawn down to its NME of 6 feet before High Rock can be drawn down any further. This is a good thing since we all know Alcoa REALLY likes to keep Badin near full. Unfortunately they are still insisting on a 10 foot winter drawdown, requesting a 50 year license and have cleverly hidden the request to allow discharges from High Rock at a rate of 125% of the project downstream flow requirements. This still allows them to pull water from High Rock at a rate 25% higher than they are required to discharge. After 4 years of participating in these proceedings, we still haven't figured out what they are going to do with all that extra water they want to suck out of High Rock but aren't required to discharge downstream. Especially when you find the paragraph that allows them to discharge 5% less than they are required to at Falls and still be in compliance. The bottom line is the more times FERC hears the citizens of NC want drawdowns at High Rock Lake limited to no more than 6 feet to protect the aquatic environment and ensure safe recreation on a year round basis, the better. Remind them that while High Rock Lake is a large reservoir, it is also VERY shallow. Simply state you are opposed to an operating guide that encourages drawdowns in excess of 6 feet. Since APGI has stated they intend to operate the lake approximately 1 foot or more above the limit to allow them to "chase peaks" when power prices shoot up a low limit of 7 feet in the winter would suffice to keep the lake at a level that most piers should still be barely usable and recreational boating should still be relatively safe. Remind them the population of the counties surrounding the project are projected to increase by 44% by the year 2030 and a 50 year license would be inappropriate. Last but not least encourage them to require APGI to improve the hazard warnings and navigation aids as recommended in the Safety Signage at Hydropower Projects on the hydropower page of the Commission's internet site. Be sure to request they add lights to the top of any warning bouys more than 200 feet from shore or at all of the bridges to allow safe navigation at night.

The Wildlife landing across from Tamarac Marina will be closed through April 19th for improvements. When complete the parking area will be paved and have 40 marked parking spaces. If you plan to do some spring fishing remember the only other Access Area on the Rowan County side is Tamarac Marina so you might need to alter your plans slightly as you may arrive and find them with no place left for you to park.

The time is here for you to "Do the RIGHT Thing" to help insure the future of High Rock Lake. Your ONLY opportunity to voice your opinion will be here on Tuesday, Jan. 23rd and Wednesday, Jan. 24th. We NEED for you and everyone you know who lives in Davidson County and Rowan County to attend one of the Scoping Meetings and encourage FERC to "Do the RIGHT Thing" by requiring APGI to manage High Rock Lake correctly in the future. We have published a wealth of information for you on our NEW HOME page, our FACTS and REALITIES pages as well as our highlighted contour MAP showing just how devastating a 10 foot drawdown is to recreational access and safety. The FERC representatives will be seeking YOUR input concerning the effects of lake level fluctuations on Water Quantity, Water Quality, Fish Habitat, Rare Threatened and Endangered Species and Plants, Wetlands, Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat, Aesthetics, Recreational Access and Recreational Safety issues. They will also be soliciting input on the effects of the project operations and proposed environmental measures on socioeconomic resources in counties in the vicinity of the project. Your time to speak will be limited so pick a subject of importance to you, arm yourself with as many facts as you can from our pages then stand up and "Do the RIGHT Thing" for the future of our favorite natural resource. Encourage FERC to limit drawdowns at High Rock Lake to NO MORE THAN 6 FEET under normal conditions and emphasize the benefits to Water Quality, Fish and Wildlife, Recreation, Aquatic Vegetation, Wetlands, and the economy of your community. Make sure they understand YOU are one of the Stakeholders MOST affected by future project operations and are the one who will have to live with the consequences of their decisions every day for the next 30 to 50 years!!

On December 21, FERC officially announced the dates, times and locations for the required public "scoping" meetings in the relicensing of Project 2197 for Alcoa Power Generating Inc. It is beginning to look like the only way the "Public" will know about them is if you are on the official FERC e-notification list for the project since APGI nor any of the State Agencies involved have bothered to publish the information in any of the normal public news medias. Please print some of these FLYERS and post them everywhere the merchants will allow so as many people as possible will know about the meetings. One can only assume that the less time people have to prepare to speak at the meetings, the less controversy they will have to deal with. We have posted the details of the meetings on our MEETINGS page, The "Scoping" Document HERE and prepared a page of informative FACTS you might want to consider if you wish to attend and speak at the meetings. The FERC representatives conducting the meetings will most likely see High Rock Lake for the first time when APGI gives them the quick tour on January 23rd and the bulk of the information they will be using to make their decisions came directly from APGI. There are only two, two hour meetings scheduled for the tens of thousands of stakeholders who have an interest in High Rock, Tuckertown, Badin and Falls Lakes. There is little information available on the format of the meetings other than the note that those interested in speaking will have to sign in and clearly identify themselves before doing so. With the VERY limited amount of time being allocated for the public to voice their opinions and concerns, it is clear they do not intend for anyone to thoroughly address the inadequacies of the License Application and Agreement In Principal in this public forum. Since the Relicensing Settlement Agreement has still not been signed and published it is impossible for anyone to know exactly which issues might still need further investigation. Even if you don't stand up and speak, you should be there to cheer on the ones who do and let FERC know when you agree with the speakers comments and feel the subject needs further investigation.

For now we encourage everyone who lives in any community surrounding the project or uses High Rock Lake for recreational purposes to attend the meetings and support the concept that FERC should "Do The RIGHT Thing". The concept is really pretty simple. For the most part everyone generally knows what the "Right" thing to do is if you give "corporate profits" and "shareholder returns" the proper priority. Here's a quick outline of how we feel the priorities should line up.

We have also updated our HOME page with a short primer on how Hydropower Relicensing REALLY works. As you have probably already figured out, there are HUGE amounts of money at stake here and as usual those with the most money and/or powerful positions will find a way to work around the system and trample on the rights of the average citizen.

Make your plans to attend the High Rock Lake River Rats 19th annual Christmas Benefit this Sunday. This is the Biggest River Rats event of the year with volunteers working long hours to provide you with fun, food, entertainment and the greatest variety of Items they can find for you to bid on. Area residents and businesses have already donated lots of quality items for the Fund Raiser and by Saturday they truly hope to have "something for everyone". They still need more items!! If you have something NEW you would like to donate please get it to a River Rat member or bring it to the Boat Dock Beach Club during the following times.

Wednesday Through Friday - 6 to 9 pm
Saturday - 11 am to 3 pm

If you have a contact at a local business that has not already donated please encourage them to donate to this worthy cause also. All of the donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and 100% of the proceeds will used to insure LOCAL less fortunate families and children are able to enjoy a truly MERRY CHRISTMAS!! More details about the event on Sunday can be found on our EVENTS page or the River Rats Web Site.

The High Rock Lake River Rats are gearing up for their 19th annual Christmas Benefit. The fund raising efforts begin with their 7th annual Thanksgiving Bash on Wednesday, Nov 22nd at the Lexington Municipal Country Club featuring "Rockin Horse". They are a great band playing a wide variety of music. Admission is $15 at the door. Then on Sunday, Dec. 3rd they will host a fund raising extravaganza at the The Boat Dock Beach Club. This is an all afternoon event with games, entertainment, free food, door prizes, half and Half raffle, Liquor Basket Raffle, Silent auction and culminating in a live auction of the bigger and nicer items that have been donated for the event. Items range from an array of gift certificates good at local merchants to NASCAR and Sports items, Race Car Driving experiences, Furniture, Framed Prints by prominent local artists and almost anything in between. This is NOT a yard sale! All items are NEW and there is something for everyone!!! One hundred percent of the proceeds from these events will be dispersed on the following Wednesday to insure LOCAL less fortunate families and children will have food, lights, heat and/or presents for Christmas. Over the past 9 years the River Rats have given an average of more than $20,000 per year in assistance to over 125 families and more than 1400 children. The economy of the area has suffered with the closing of local businesses and factories and the River Rats still need additional donations for both the Live and Silent auctions. If you have an item you would like to donate (cash donation are also accepted) contact any River Rats member or call (336) 859-4026 for more information on how you can help. An invitation, at least one can of food and a $10 donation per person is all you need for admittance to the benefit. More information about both events can be found on our EVENTS page or on the River Rats Web Site. This IS your opportunity to give something back to your community and make Christmas a joyous time for everyone in Davidson County!

Recent heavy rains are pushing a wall of water down the Yadkin River. Both River flows and Height have set new record highs for yesterday and today with flows cresting near 22,000 cfs and River height cresting at about 16 feet. Both of these figures are more than twice the previous record highs for these dates and more than 8 times the amount of water normally coming down the Yadkin river this time of year. Needless to say, for the next week or so expect High Rock to be very muddy and literally filled with floating and submerged debris. Exercise extreme caution if you go boating to avoid personal injury or damage to your boat.

The Fall "spectacular of color" is in full bloom here at High Rock. If the rains on Friday don't knock all of the leaves off the trees, this weekend might be a great opportunity to enjoy a leisurely fall boat ride to Flat Swamp and enjoy a few hours of natures splendor. Maybe you'll even get to enjoy watching one of the Bald Eagles living here. There have been lots of sightings this year in the Abbotts Creek Area. Sightseeing, bird watching and simply enjoying the views nature has to offer here are actually considered recreational activities and are important in relicensing. There was actually an entire study devoted to visual aesthetics of the project.

Our Motion to Intervene has been filed with FERC and Alcoa has responded with no objections. This guarantees we will continue to be involved on your behalf in the formal relicensing process. Alcoa's recent "Yadkin Report" included the following statement. "FERC officials are planning to visit the region in early 2007 to solicit public feedback about relicensing the Yadkin Project" This will be your opportunity to stand up and personally convey to the FERC officials exactly how you feel about the terms Alcoa is proposing for the future operations of High Rock Lake. Nothing would be finer than a HUGE turnout to oppose the 4/10 proposal they have enticed our Agency representatives into signing with the offer to negotiate the sale of large tracts of land outside the boundaries of the project. How about taking better care of the natural resources inside the project boundaries? Just because the head of NCDNR aspires to leave a legacy of land conservation in his wake, doesn't mean High Rock Lake should be dumped on for another 50 years to accomplish it. If expanding Morrow Mountain State Park is that important, the state ALREADY has the right to condemn the land and acquire it for fair market value. As soon as the dates of the public meetings are announced we will post them prominently to be sure everyone who wishes to speak gets the opportunity.

Even though Alcoa has submitted their Agreement In Principal to FERC, the relicensing of Project 2197 is far from over. There are still several major steps that remain. FERC must still determine if the terms for future operations of the project are consistent with the terms of the Environmental Policy Act and the Electric Consumers Protection Act of 1986. Their challenge is to determine if the future operations of the project is in the best interest of the public and if the operations guidelines are “best adapted to a comprehensive plan for improving or developing a waterway”. FERC has already responded to Alcoa's License Application and Agreement in Principal with a pretty large request for additional data ranging from generator efficiency data to additional modeling scenarios for the future operations of the project. The modeling requests are obviously geared at further evaluating alternatives to the 4/10 operations proposal at High Rock Lake since there isn't really much controversy about keeping Badin, Tuckertown and Falls near full pond on a year round basis. One of the significant questions is the effect of a 10 foot drawdown on Duke Power's Buck Steam Plant. Buck produces more than twice the amount of power as all of Alcoa's dams put together. This power is a significant part of the "Base Load" capabilities of Duke Power and is important in maintaining the stability of the power grid. Duke operates their network of generating facilities under the 12.5% "earnings cap" established by the NC Public Utilities Commission in the interest of the public. They also contribute significantly to the economy of hundreds of communities in NC by employing many thousands of people across the state either directly or by contracting support services. In contrast to Duke's regulated operation there are independent power producers such as APGI enjoying the FREE use of our natural resources to generate corporate profits in excess of 200%. These operations employ only a handful of North Carolinians, contribute little to the local economy and these outrageous profits are then sent to the corporate headquarters in Pennsylvania. It IS in the best interest of the public to insure that such an independent power generating facility is NEVER allowed to adversely affect the operations of the public utility companies delivering electricity to our homes and businesses. Duke Power possesses considerably more expertise in the appropriate use and operation of HydroElectric "peaking" facilities than APGI and was commended by FERC for their excellent management of the Catawba chain of lakes during the drought of 2002. Duke submitted a proposal that is only a slight modification of the proposed 4/10 scenario in the Agreement In Principal. The only real difference is the discharge cutbacks at High Rock Lake to 125% of required project discharge would occur at 3 foot and 7 foot instead of 4 feet and 10 feet. At that point, if High Rock Lake continued to fall due to low inflow, discharges would be curtailed to 100% of required project discharge at 4 or 10 feet until such time as the Low Inflow Protocol kicked in. In Duke's expert opinion, this scenario would have negligible impact on APGI's earning potential while protecting their Buck Steam Plant and would have significant positive environmental, recreational and economic impacts at High Rock Lake. If you look at Alcoa's Historical Lake Levels page you will see that this proposal is very much in line with how the lake has actually been operated for the last 20 years. With the exception of a few months in the early fall that will change under either scenario, it is almost a perfect mimic of the historical average lake levels. The only difference is it removes the temptation to exploit High Rock Lake in the future if power prices soar. This is a prudent and proactive management scenario that SaveHighRockLake.org and others who refused to sign the Agreement In Principal fully support.

We will be filing our official Motion to Intervene this week. This will guarantee our right to be a party to future proceedings and continue representing your interests in the remaining portions of the relicensing process. We will then follow that with DETAILED comments documenting what further changes we believe need to be made to the AIP citing the scientific evidence in the studies performed to support our beliefs. No dates have been announced yet, but there should be opportunities for you to voice your opinions in future public meetings as well as through written "Comments" to FERC. Keep in mind that until then, the Alcoa public relations team will be doing everything in their power to keep everyone VERY happy with their management of the lakes. They know that most people will not go to the trouble to write letters of complaint or opposition when the lakes are full and being managed properly. It's no mistake that High Rock is essentially full in October and will likely remain way above average until the period for public comment is over. Enjoy the benefits of it while you can but don't be lured into a false sense of security and forgo your rights to fight for the BEST that we can get for High Rock Lake. We will all have to live with the consequences for the next 30 to 50 years!!

We're BACK!! Sorry for the lack of news updates lately but once and a while you have to dedicate all of your energy to personal goals. From now on you can expect to see more regular news updates and a series of updates on how hydropower relicensing REALLY works! Keep your eye on the Events page for updates on upcoming community events too. Now for a relicensing update.

The Alcoa Public Relations machine is gearing up to convince you the Agreement In Principal is really good and you should like and support it. It began with press releases touting how much of an improvement it will be over the past and how they tried to address ALL of the participants interests to some extent. They released the September "Yadkin Report" yesterday and most of it is dedicated to bragging about the enhancements the 27 stakeholders groups agreed to. We told you before that there are many good things included in the AIP, many of them being long overdue improvements now required to comply with legislation passed in the last 50 years. If you read the interest statements of many of the 27 groups that signed the AIP there is a wide variety of interests they were representing. Most of the representatives with statutory authority (State and Federal agencies) were interested in fish and wildlife, water quality, downstream river flows, historical site preservation, endangered plant and animal species, and LAND CONSERVATION. Many of the Non Governmental groups were also there for many of the same reasons. Did you notice YOUR recreational interests guaranteed by the Electric Consumers Protection Act of 1986 don't seem to be there? Then there were a few of us that were there specifically to protect your interests as area residents and visitors. We totally agree that all of those interests are important. The big difference is the priorities we placed on YOUR interests as stakeholders DIRECTLY impacted by the operations of High Rock Lake. After participating in the scoping and review of many of the studies performed, one thing was abundantly clear. If the water levels at High Rock Lake are kept higher and more stable, MOST of the other issues will take care of themselves. The other difference is the fact that we actually ASKED you what was important to you as residents and recreational visitors. I feel abundantly safe in saying I am sure NONE of the agencies ever once asked YOU what was important to YOU or gave YOU the opportunity to convey your feelings to them. Their representatives "Ain't from around here" so they relied on the "educated expertise" of their agencies to determine what was best for you. In contrast to that mentality, we spent thousands of man hours at numerous area events within a 50 mile radius asking thousands of people who live and play at High Rock Lake what THEY thought needed to change at Project 2197. Of those we talked to, not a single one ever mentioned the conservation of thousands of acres of land adjacent to Morrow Mountain State Park or the Uwharrie National Forest. However this land was an important interest to the Secretary of the NC Department of Natural Resources (the head over ALL of the state agencies) and many of the 27 groups who did sign the AIP, so they were willing to compromise elsewhere (High Rock Lake improvements) to get the "opportunity" to "negotiate" the purchase of this land. We have nothing against land conservation. We think it a very good thing, but it needs to stand on its own merit!! Not at the expense of High Rock Lake. Morrow Mountain State Park is a fine tourism destination for about 400,000 people each year, but High Rock Lake provides nearly 1.5 million "recreation day" opportunities per year. Do you think Morrow Mountain State Park will send us water when the river flows are low as a thanks for expanding their park? NOT!!

Although the AIP will be a huge influence on the final decisions of FERC, the fat lady hasn't sung yet. Almost all of the groups refusing to sign the AIP have direct interests in High Rock Lake. That's not a coincidence. No one directly impacted by the future operations of High Rock Lake feels that we should accept the ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM of improvements here for the benefit of interests far removed from here. I doubt those representatives with statutory authority from other areas would compromise on improvements in their own back yard for the benefit of High Rock Lake. You will still have the opportunity to voice your opinions at FERC required public meetings and through filings submitted to FERC. You can also exert pressure from the top by contacting your elected officials and encouraging them to press for minor changes to the AIP. In the near future we will publish the far superior operations proposal made by Duke Power in defense of their Buck Steam plant. It is truly a minor change with negligible impact to Alcoa but provides significant improvements at High Rock.

To our amazement and delight, tonight the Davidson County commissioners listened to the people they represent and voted 4 to 3 against signing Alcoa's "Agreement in Principal". Our thanks go out to Dean Vick of the Concerned Property Owners of High Rock Lake for attending the meeting and encouraging the commissioners NOT to sign the Agreement. Vick asked the commissioners to be sure they understood the implications of signing the agreement. He pointed out Davidson County would get very little benefit from signing the document. It would also make the job of those of us continuing to fight for better terms with FERC that much more difficult. Commissioner Max Walser, the only commissioner who has been present in any of the negotiations to date also recommended against signing the agreement. Walser indicated that he felt the proposed drawdown limits were in excess of what would be environmentally good for High Rock Lake. Commissioner Don Truell then asked Gene Ellis of APGI to clarify the ramifications of signing the document. Ellis told the commissioners that if they signed the agreement it would mean that they agreed with ALL of it's contents and they would be obligated to fully support ALL aspects of it in future proceedings with FERC. He also told them as he had told us that there would not be any further negotiations in respect to High Rock Lake levels. Since few people would obviously totally support every aspect of the document, that was evidently enough to bring several other commissioners to their senses about signing the agreement. Our hats are off to Cindy Akins, Don Truell, Larry Potts and Max Walser for voting not to sign the Agreement in Principal and protecting Davidson County's right to lobby for improvements in future FERC proceedings. At this point the City of Salisbury, the Concerned Property Owners of High Rock Lake, Davidson County, Duke Power, The National Park Service, SaveHighRockLake.org, Stanly County, The US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Yadkin Pee Dee Lakes Project, and the Yadkin Pee Dee Relicensing Coalition have not signed the Agreement and did not ask for extensions of time to sign. If we can strengthen our alliances with these organizations (several of them DO have statutory authority in the relicensing proceedings) we may still have a shot at motivating our politicians and FERC to support better water level requirements than Alcoa has volunteered to provide at this point.

Alcoa has released the final Agreement in Principal from the negotiations process. This is the culmination of thousands and thousands of man hours of studies, meetings and negotiations concerning the relicensing of FERC Project 2197. This document represents Alcoa's final offer to settle the terms to be included in their new license by negotiating with all of the stakeholder representatives in the negotiations process. Monday was the deadline to sign the document and as of Tuesday 20 groups had signed and 15 had not. Of the 15 who have not signed, 6 of them have requested extensions of time and could sign before the next meeting. Even though the AIP contains many provisions we are very happy to see included, there were several issues that remain unresolved to our satisfaction so we have not and will not sign the AIP as written.

Everyone involved in the relicensing negotiations came with their own goals and no one realistically expected to achieve all of them. Some came to protect fish and wildlife. Some to protect the downstream river flows. Others were interested in water quality and/or water allocations. Still others came seeking land conservation or historical site preservation. Those with statutory authority (state and federal agencies) are the ones whose signatures are really important so addressing the widest range of their goals was required. The Secretary of the NC Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources has an extensive background in land conservation and is the head over almost all of the state agencies participating in the negotiations. That should give you some clue as to why so many tracts of land are included in the AIP instead of focusing strictly on issues native to the river system and project itself. We came interested in every facet that affected High Rock lake. Its safe use for recreational purposes, water levels, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat enhancement/protection, and addressing issues important to local residents as well the visiting public. We went in with reasonable goals and expectations seeking improved water levels and stability, drawdowns limited to no more than 50% of the average depth of the lake, improvements related to recreational safety and a very specific Low Inflow Protocol. The studies performed supported our goals and the need for changes. Unfortunately we also went in with no statutory authority. Any improvements to what is being proposed in the AIP will have to come from the efforts of the public in motivating FERC and their elected officials to represent the interests of their constituents. We have requested an additional study to address recreational safety as it relates to the proposed Operating Guide for High Rock Lake (which Alcoa has requested FERC to deny) and will continue to champion our cause with FERC and our elected officials through the rest of the traditional relicensing process.

If you missed the River Rats' July 4th fireworks display, you may have missed the largest fireworks display in the state. The Charlotte Motor Speedway was advertising their 900 shot display as the largest display in the state. According to Frank Fraley, the River Rats pyrotechnician, those who came to our fireworks were treated to a show of more than 1700 shells. The show was a little late getting started thanks to the annual July 4th thunderstorm, but once the show started those brave enough to venture back out were definitely treated to one of the best displays ever at High Rock. The show lasted more than 40 minutes and ended in a spectacular finale.

If you have been on the water at all this year or looked at any of the recent water sports catalogs, I am sure you have seen the newest "thrill Seeker" toy on the market. It's the "Kite Tube", designed to take the rider airborne. These flying tubes are the latest $500+ water toy for the adventurous types out there. If you are like most of us who have seen one of them in action, your first two thoughts were probably 1) That's COOL!!, and 2) Are they NUTS? It looks like thought number two is the correct one. On July 13th, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a Recall Notice for the WEGO KITE TUBE (one of the two brands of kite tubes on the market). These "toys" are already responsible for at least two deaths and hundreds of injuries. They have already been banned on a few lakes with many more considering banning them. Just two weeks ago at High Rock, Jay Phillips broke his neck when he plunged uncontrollably into the water at over 30 miles per hour from 50 feet in the air. A quick Google search for "Kite Tube Recall" will produce numerous discussion boards and blogs full of horror stories about the dangers of these new "toys". There seems to be a variety of opinions concerning who might be responsible for many of the accidents. One is that the product itself is inherently dangerous and common sense should tell you to stay away from it. Another is that the boat driver is ultimately responsible for pulling riders faster than the recommended speed causing the tube to soar much higher than is safe. Still another thought is simply that no one can control or predict wind gusts that can cause the tube to soar, roll and/or nose dive unpredictably just as a kite does on a windy day. Many retailers have already discontinued selling them and the manufacturer is offering to exchange them for an equivalent amount of other merchandise. This news video and interview with Jay Phillips from WSOC TV in Charlotte should be all that is necessary to convince anyone who has bought one of these "toys" to protect your friends and family by SENDING IT BACK!!!

The biggest lake weekend is approaching quickly and there will be lots of activities on and around the lake. There will be two fireworks displays on July 4th as well as one on July 8th. The lake will be crowded so please be careful. Remember that all children on the boat under 13 must wear their life jacket at all times. There will be large numbers of boats on the water at night for the next month so be sure all of your navigation lights are working properly and use them as required. Also remember to check your fire extinguisher!! It may be one of the most critical pieces of safety equipment on the boat and you can't afford for it not to work if you need it. If it is more than 4 or 5 years old you probably should replace it. There will be a heightened law enforcement presence on and off the water watching for boating regulation violations as well as moving violations on the roads. As always, they will also be checking boat and car drivers for "Driving while Impaired" so enjoy yourself RESPONSIBLY and avoid a visit to the Rowan or Davidson County jail. We have updated our Events page with all of the events and entertainment we are aware of between now and July 8th. Check Boat Dock Beach Club's Calendar for all of the activities there as well.

A week and a half ago we posted information alerting you to the dangerously low river flows and the possibilities of the beginning of problems reminiscent of 2002. The lake had already dropped to 3 feet below full pond with no prediction of significant rains. Luckily we got a two day river surge just as the weeken