Alcoa to lower High Rock Lake for pier maintenance, excavation

Alcoa Power Generating Inc. (APGI) will lower High Rock Lake to 10 feet below full by February 1, a move that will allow lakefront property owners to perform pier maintenance and excavate reservoir sediments to maintain or create recreational boat access.  Water levels will remain 10 feet below full for three weeks, before APGI begins refilling the reservoir to normal levels.


"We have many property owners around the lake who have obtained excavation permits and are eager to improve access to their piers," said Marshall Olson, Environment and Natural Resources Manager for APGI’s Yadkin Project. "Water levels at High Rock have not dropped low enough to excavate in more than three years, so we are trying to accommodate those property owners who have requested a drawdown.


“This should also provide a boost in business during a relatively slow time of year for area contractors who provide excavation and pier maintenance services.”


High Rock Lake is a shallow reservoir that accumulates sediment that flows downstream from upper portions of the Yadkin River. Because piers require a minimum water depth of 8 feet, the Yadkin Shoreline Management Plan allows for excavation of sediments at High Rock Lake.


Homeowners who wish to excavate around their piers must receive prior written approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality, and the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources (as necessary) and submit an application to APGI. For more information about excavation regulations, refer to the Shoreline Stewardship Policy of the Shoreline Management Plan at: www.alcoa.com/yadkin/en/info_page/stewardship_alteration.asp.


The exact drawdown schedule may be impacted by heavy rainfall or other unforeseen weather events. For updates about the drawdown, visit the APGI website at www.alcoa.com/yadkin.