Water Quality
The Dredge Report
Dredging has now become available for property owners on Claytor Lake. Thanks to the diligence of 15 residents in the upper part of Claytor Lake, a dredging company has been contracted from Lake Norman in North Carolina to facilitate all the permitting and dredging operations.
In conjunction with this year’s upcoming drawdown, now is the time to get involved with this group and your neighbors to contract dredging in your areas.
For info or help submitting your dredging permit contact:
Rob Airaghi
rairaghi@verizon.net
Or
Barry Mayberry
mayberry524@gmail.com
Caution:
The Army Corp of Engineers has designated any siltation or vegetation that has topped out above the water level as wetlands. These areas can not be dredged when considering your area for permitting.
All Lake Clean Up Day
The Friends of Claytor Lake held their annual All Lake Clean Up Day today which was a major success. So many great people, who enjoy Claytor Lake, took part in helping remove trash from its shoreline.
While our clean up program focuses on debris around the lake, it is always great to have those who help collect trash from the water and shoreline. Some of these items can take thousands of years to decompose which is why collecting these helps keep our lake beautiful and as pollution free as possible.
Clean Up 2019 Begins!
The Friends of Claytor Lake embark on yet another challenging year of debris clean up in 2019. With high flow events growing in strength and frequency, FOCL is hoping to keep ahead of the weather and have a beautiful lake everyone can enjoy safely.
Our aging equipment is providing us with additional challenges which is why it is so important for everyone who enjoys the lake to support FOCL by making a donation this year. We hope to start upgrading our equipment and adding more to our fleet with the goal of having 2 clean up crews working independently from one end of the lake to the other.
Florence resets Clean Up
It almost never fails. The Friends of Claytor Lake clean up crew work diligently all season to keep Claytor a beautiful and safe lake to enjoy. The work is pain staking and long with our crew trying to cover as much of the lake as possible. Like almost every year, just when we have started work in more remote areas, a high flow event hits the reset button on our clean up program.
Hurricane Florence dumped enough water into the head waters of the New River in North Carolina and throughout Southwest Virginia to bring the New River to levels we haven’t seen since the floods of 2013. Appalachian Power drew down the lake to around 6 feet in preparation for Florence’s arrival and is now close to a foot over full pond.
The New River saw flow rates just shy of 70,000 cubic feet per second, sending along with it a deluge of debris that pushes the RESET button on our clean up efforts. Flows like this easily can tear away docks and boats from property and send tons of debris into Claytor Lake. Trees, Buildings, and more come flowing down capable of causing major damage to other property and serious safety concerns to those venturing out on the water.
FOCL’s Clean Up Program is one of the most vital assets for Claytor Lake and homeowners for times like this. With an annual operating cost close to $200,000, it is why FOCL works to get all homeowners involved in our organization. We are inclredibly thankful to our supporters American Electric Power, Pulaski County, and the small percentage of homeowners who value our contributions to Claytor Lake.
Help Us Keep THIS…
Out of THIS…
