Mayor's Message - Please Join Us As We Honor Our Nations Heroes!
April 2023
For countless families across our nation, Memorial Day is a stark and often painful reminder of those who have been lost in service to our Country. Their sacrifice is a true expression of selfless service. Whether they volunteered at a time of war, served during peacetime, or never expected to wear our nation's uniform until their draft card arrived, they represent the very best America has to offer.
Please join the Town of Lake Lure in recognizing those mothers, fathers, siblings, and children who may have lost a loved one in service by attending our 2023 Memorial Day Service. Our special guest speaker for the Service will be Colonial Ernest Beall. The Service will be held on Monday, May 29, 2023, at 9:00 am at the Lake Lure Veterans Memorial, located directly across from the Lake Lure Beach, between the Lake Lure Inn and the Arcade Building.
All Boats Rise in Lake Lure!
As you read this article, our gorgeous Lake Lure is back in all of its glory! The rate of refilling the lake is always dependent upon weather conditions. We are so thankful for the rain in April!
We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding while the Lake was drawn down this year for the critical infrastructure projects. Your Town Council is working to preserve the Lake and the Town by facilitating these essential tasks. We have staid deliberations with the engineers each year as we determine the minimum time that the Lake will be drawdown to complete the necessary work. Our Project Manager oversees this work daily to ensure that the projects are moving forward as expeditiously as possible. We are pleased with the work that was accomplished during this timeframe. Below is a brief update on the progress that was made.
1. Sewer System Replacement: We began Phase One of the sewer system replacement project this winter. This phase included the installation of boring pipe sleeves on properties in the Sunset Cove area. The boring sleeves are the casing for the future sewer pipes that will be installed. The contractor completed 10 boring sleeves on the north end of the cove during this drawdown. Many lessons were learned and the engineering teams will be meeting to assess the work that was accomplished and to make plans for the next steps.
The Town is soliciting for a Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) contractor to install critical Subaqueous Sanitary Sewer (SASS) pipelines below the Lake floor from east to west across the Buffalo Creek (northern) branch of the Lake, and across the Cane Creek (southern) branch. HDD installation will occur during the 2023-24 Lake Drawdown period.
2. Wastewater Treatment Plant: The Town will also solicit for a contractor to perform Phase 1 improvements at the Town’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), consisting of rehabilitation, and replacement of certain solids-handling components of the facility.
3. Lake dredging with excavators: Excavation dredging took place in the river next to Morse Park. This went very well but must stop in preparation for refilling the lake. Approximately 13,616 cubic yards of material was dredged from the Lake during the Drawdown. As a reference point, 13,616 cubic yards = 4 Olympic size swimming pools. The illustration below shows an image of 1,000 cubic yards as a visual reference. The disturbed land will be repaired and re-seeded. The gravel road will be scraped and regraveled, as needed. Hydraulic dredging is expected to continue on an ongoing bases throughout the year.
3. Penstock inspection and warranty repairs: The Penstock is the intake structure that controls water flow, that delivers water to the dam’s hydro turbines. The Penstock inspection and repairs have been completed. Everything was satisfactory and the Penstock is fully operational.
4. Work on deep water access ramp near the dam: The Town received a signed contract to allow work to proceed. Next steps include a site meeting with the Engineers in order to make any necessary changes to site conditions.
5. Reservoir Drain Project (Dam Valves): The Town’s Dam Engineering firm developed the design for the reservoir drain at the existing Dam. The Town has been soliciting for bids for a contractor to construct the reservoir drain. We anticipate starting this work by this summer.
In addition to these core infrastructure projects, we are planning for the safety and health of our citizens by working to expand Public Services facilities. You will be hearing more about this in the coming months.
We are laser focused on balancing our fiscal responsibilities and the demands of a nearly 100-year old infrastructure. Our goal is to prioritize and accomplish these projects in the next decade so that all boats continue to rise in Lake Lure and operate efficiently and safely. We value and appreciate your ongoing support as we continue to work together to preserve Lake Lure for future generations. Please stay tuned to the Town News on the website www.townoflakelure.com for further updates.
