State plans to dredge the access point before Memorial Day 

MILL SPRING—The marina at Lake Adger, which has been slowly filling up with silt from the Green River should be dredged soon.  

The Polk County Board of Commissioners heard from Gary Gardner, with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission recently about the schedule.  

Polk County Manager Marche Pittman said this week that the state will be doing spot dredging and plans to hire a local contractor. The state was talking about doing another, more detailed dredging plan this year, but have to get a permit with the Army Corp of Engineers so that is going to take more time.  

Gardner said the goal is to have some dredging done by the boating season, which begins Memorial Day at the end of May.   

Commissioner Chair Tommy Melton asked if any of the dredging would cost any money to the county.  

Gardner said the dredging will cost no county dollars.  

Gardner said the state discovered it needs an individual permit for major dredging and regular maintenance, which takes about a year and includes public input.  

During citizen comments, Lake Adger resident Irene LeCourt questioned why it has been two years and nothing has been done to dredge the main channel of Lake Adger and why there have been no meetings with the Lake Adger Property Owners’ Association. She also said there is state funding approved for Lake Adger Dam repairs and asked why state funding has not been requested for the Lake Adger Dam. LeCourt said the governor has budgeted $127 million for repairs to dams with no allocations to Polk County.  

“Are we so rich we don’t need any of this state and federal funding,” LeCourt asked.  

The county has since asked the state for funding.  

Commissioner Myron Yoder told LeCourt that he know it is frustrating regarding the dredging of the lake. He said he figured when he came into office the county would have it done within a year but it just does not work that way.  

“We want more for less,” Yoder said.  

Yoder said the sedimentation up the river is a separate issue and there are people working on it.  

“I promise you we’re working on it,” Yoder said.  

Commissioner Ray Gasperson asked Gardner if the state projected the next three, five or 10 years, how much sedimentation can be removed from the lake.  

Gardner said the state’s focus is just the channel from the boat ramp to the main part of the lake. He said that’s the legal obligation.  

“The county and property owners have a much larger problem long term,” Gardner said.  

Gardner also said the individual permit will give the state a lot more flexibility for long term dredging needs.