Following Hurricane Helene, we who love and live in the Gorge have been curious about the progress of cleanup and the status of the recovery. We routinely read Town news about what is happening, who is helping, and where advances are being made. We measure progress in tons of silt, yards of debris, segments of “paddleable” river, feet above Mean Sea Level, and millions of dollars spent. Another important measure of improvement is water quality.
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, we observed mounds of debris towering 30 feet above the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge and floating more than 200 yards past Morse Park and the town marina. We wondered and worried about sewage and resulting contamination by fecal coliform bacteria. We talked about turbidity, a new word in our post-disaster shared vocabulary, one that no longer needs definition or pronunciation. We feared a new indicator: Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs, which includes chemicals such as propane, refrigerants and paints that react in the atmosphere and contribute to air and water pollution. The Town of Lake Lure added new chemistry tests to identify the presence of copper. Copper can come from geological deposits and soil erosion as well as from paint coatings from boat hulls and decking. At higher concentrations it is toxic to aquatic organisms. So, we know what to look for, but many of us may not know how the answers are found.
Did you know, for example, that local volunteers collect the water samples from the lake? At least once a month, a group of trained volunteers meet to undertake the work. They scrabble down the sharp, rocky, eroded slope at the edge of the dam carrying a large tub of instruments, gauges, sampling bottles and data logs, as well as a cooler of ice to keep samples cold. This is not just a post-hurricane endeavor. For nearly five years, the Town has authorized community volunteers to help with the water sampling on which we all rely. As they told me, they go out year-round, in all weather, “unless there is lightning or high winds” that make the job too difficult or too dangerous. Whether it is raining and cold, or it is a Town holiday, or there is a friend in town, or any other reason, they are on the lake by 8:00 a.m. and for as long as it takes to collect all the samples and to record all the data.
The leader and self-described pirate, Cap’n Robin Worcester, is a longtime contributor to surrounding trails and waterways. Some of you may know him as a Board member on the Rutherford Outdoor Coalition or a Trail Boss on Buffalo Creek Trail. Currently crewing with Robin is friend, neighbor and First Mate Jordan Dimoff. As many as seventeen others have offered to help as and when needed. On the day that I was permitted to join them, two other volunteers arrived first, early and armed with hot coffee, dry towels and required life vests.
“This is an incredible group of people,” said Dana Bradley, Director of Parks, Recreation & Lake. Since budget cuts and shifting priorities have resulted in job expansion for many Town employees, it is vital to have capable and reliable volunteers from the community who will take over certain activities that would otherwise require precious Town human resources.
So, next time you observe the progress on the lake or read the water quality report, give a nod of thanks to these men and women, your neighbors and mine, who dedicate their time to our town, to our lake, and to us. Meanwhile, keep in mind that this is just one – a very important one, but still just one – of the many activities happening behind the scenes in and around Hickory Nut Gorge.
Do you have a good idea for another story Under the Surface in the Gorge? Contact the Editor or me at jennrm2016@gmail.com.
Jennifer is a happy resident of Lake Lure and a novice journalist. She is co-author and editor of several technical publications in her former profession, product regulatory affairs, but finds that non-technical writing is much more fun!
