By Edgar Miller, Riverkeeper
Yadkin Riverkeeper Edgar Miller took to the air on June 26 with SouthWings pilot Holliday Obrecht, III to fly over the Yadkin Lakes looking for harmful algal blooms (HABs), checking out the status of the demolition of the Alcoa aluminum smelter buildings on Badin Lake and documenting the growth of the poultry industry in the Uwharrie River watershed in Montgomery and Randolph counties. The flight covered almost 120 linear miles and an area of more than 300 square miles.
Time for takeoff.
Confluence of the Yadkin and South Yadkin Rivers, Davie, Davidson and Rowan Counties.
Yadkin River Park, York Hill Access, Wil-Cox Bridge, Highway 29, Norfolk Southern Railway Bridge and I-85 all at the historic “Trading Ford.” The river is a bit muddy due to recent storms. We must protect river buffers and prevent urban and agricultural runoff to reduce sediments and nutrients entering the Yadkin and its Lakes.
Ongoing work at Duke Energy’s Buck Power Station in Rowan County. Progress being made thanks to YRK’s lawsuit to require Duke to remove and recycle 6.5 million tons of coal ash disposed of at the site.
Looking back up River at Duke’s Buck Power Station, now fueled by natural gas, not coal, and the STAR coal ash recycling facility (white domed structure in the center of the photo).
Small swine breeding facility on High Rock Lake in Rowan County. Thankfully, only one in the immediate watershed.
High Rock Lake/Yadkin River in all its Summer glory.
Now forested mud flats deposited in the upper portion of High Rock Lake over 100 years since the construction of the High Rock Dam.
Ever growing sand bar deposited at the mouth of Swearing Creek in the upper portion of High Rock Lake. The now almost 25’ high sandbar is cutting off access to the main lake for homeowners along the mouth of Swearing Creek in Davidson County. Studies are ongoing to look at the feasibility of dredging this area.
Skip Jack Marina on High Rock Lake in Davidson County where YRK keeps our boat.
High Rock Dam.
Tuckertown Reservoir.
Newsom Cove paddle access covered in Black Mat Algae.
Albemarle water treatment plant on Tuckertown Reservoir, which has been cited for violations of state water quality standards as a result of having to treat its water with cooper to kill the algae in its reservoirs.
Albemarle water intake on Tuckertown Reservoir near coves full of Harmful Algal Blooms.
Significant Black Mat Algae bloom on Badin Lake near Uwharrie Point. Already this bad and it’s only June.
Six-and-a-half of Alcoa’s smelter buildings in Badin have been removed from the site raising concerns in the community about toxic dust clouds and contaminated stormwater runoff.
Narrows Dam and Badin Lake on a hazy summer day.
Falls Dam and Reservoir, Stanly and Montgomery County.
Morrow Mountain State Park and Lake Tillery.
Lake Tillery Dam and the beginning of the Pee Dee River, which is the end of Yadkin Riverkeeper’s Waterkeeper Alliance jurisdiction.
Uwharrie River in the Uwharrie National Forest, Montgomery County.
Growing number of poultry houses in the Uwharrie watershed. Counted nearly 90 in Montgomery and Randolph Counties.
Major industrial developments are occurring in the watershed, including Nucor Steel’s new “mini-mill” in southern Davidson County, which will melt down scrap metal in an electric arc furnace to produce steel rebar.
Along with industrial development, comes places for workers to live. These tract developments are becoming increasingly common throughout the watershed, but particularly in the more urbanizing counties like Davidson and Stanly.
Coming in for the landing at the Davidson County airport.
SouthWings pilot Holliday Obrecht, III and his sweet ride. Thanks so much Holliday for getting us where we need to be to see what’s going on in our watershed.