State began dredging Lake Adger last week

MILL SPRING—Dredging of Lake Adger has finally begun. 

Polk County has been working with the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission for a couple years, with the most recent schedule for it to be done by Memorial Day this year. 

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Monday and heard from commissioner Myron Yoder, who has been working closely with the project. 

“We finally put a scoop in Lake Adger,” Yoder said during commissioner comments. 

Yoder said temporary dredging has started at the lake marina. 

“If you buy a $100,000 Cadillac, you take care of it,” Yoder said. “That’s how I feel about the lake. I think it’s one of those things down the road that will be beneficial.” 

County manager Marche Pittman said this is the first time since he has been here there has been dredging of the lake. 

Yoder said the contractor is working from the dock at the marina to where the lake splits. Yoder also said people are also working on a solution on the Green River where the silt comes from. 

Pittman said this week the delay in the dredging schedule was because the state had problems finding a contractor to do the work. 

Tim Edwards, a local contractor, started the work recently. 

Pittman also explained that there are essentially two projects with the dredging of the marina. 

“There are technically two projects,” Pittman said. “One is a temporary project that is being completed now. The other project is a more extended and expensive project that will be more permanent.” 

Commissioners heard from the WRC earlier this year about the schedule, which the state had hoped to complete by Memorial Day, which is the official start of the summer recreation season. State representatives said earlier this year plans were for spot dredging and the plans were 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, which will take more time. 

The individual permit for major dredging and regular maintenance, which takes about a year, will include public input, according to the WRC. 

No county dollars are being spent on the dredging of the lake. 

Lake Adger was created in 1925 with the construction of the Turner Shoals Dam on the Green River. 

Polk County purchased the lake and dam in 2009, in order to create a future drinking water source for the county. 

An agreement was approved in 2004 between the Lake Adger Property Owner’s Association, Lake Adger Developers, the Polk County Board of Commissioners, Northbrook Carolina Hydro and the NCWRC to provide public access to the lake. NCWRC then agreed to pay an annual fee and to be responsible for maintaining the access channel from the Lake Adger Marina and Marina Boat Ramp facility to the main body of Lake Adger so watercraft can access the water from the boat ramp. 

“Such responsibility will include the obligation to dredge the channel as necessary to maintain access to the waters of Lake Adger for watercraft,” states the agreement.