Hardaway Exhibit Finds A Permanent Home in Badin

Historic artifacts from one of North America’s oldest archaeological sites are returning home to Badin, NC. The artifacts are part of “Ancient Carolinians,” an exhibit developed by archaeologists at the University of North Carolina that will be permanently located in Badin.

Tomorrow, Alcoa will formally announce that it has pledged $25,000 to the Badin Museum Commission. Those funds will support the design of a dedicated museum building in Badin to showcase the artifacts as part of the Ancient Carolinians exhibit. 

“These artifacts represent an important part of our history, and the exhibit tells an intriguing story about the people who first lived here. Alcoa wants to help preserve that history with a permanent museum and our donation will help make that a reality,” said Mark Gross, an Alcoa technical manager based in Badin.

The artifacts were first discovered on a ridge overlooking Badin Lake in the 1930s by an Alcoa engineer. UNC researchers unearthed more than 1.5 million artifacts at the Hardaway site, a National Historic landmark that has been described as one of the most important archaeological sites in North America.

Alcoa donated the artifacts to UNC in 2005 and funded efforts to educate people across North Carolina about the state’s earliest inhabitants. The effort included development of the Ancient Carolinians exhibit, lesson plans and teaching kits for schoolteachers, and a feature on “Exploring North Carolina,” a public television program.  UNC will loan the exhibit and artifacts to the Museum Commission, who will be responsible for the display.

“The Hardaway site provides a window through which we can see how people in North Carolina lived more than 10,000 years ago,” said Dr. Vin Steponaitis, director of UNC Research Laboratories of Archaeology. “Alcoa has played a key role in preserving the Hardaway site and we are very grateful for all they have done to preserve and promote this important part of North Carolina's heritage.”

Artifacts on Display at Best of Badin Festival
The “Ancient Carolinians” exhibit will be on display in the Alcoa Conference Center in Badin during the 19th annual Best of Badin Festival on September 20-21. Admission is free.

“It’s a great opportunity to step into the past and see how North Carolina’s first people lived,” said Badin Mayor Jim Harrison.  “These historic artifacts were discovered right here in Badin and we are excited to bring them home.”

Visitors to the Best of Badin Festival can view the exhibit and talk with members of the NC Archaeological Society on Saturday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. The NC Archaeological Society is hosting is annual Fall Conference in Badin in conjunction with the Best of Badin Festival.

Alcoa Plans to Donate Historic Site to State of North Carolina
The historic Hardaway site is situated on property that Alcoa plans to donate to the State of North Carolina as part of the Relicensing Settlement Agreement for the Yadkin Hydroelectric Project. The benefits in the agreement include a commitment to donate more than 1,000 acres (including he Hardaway site) for the expansion of Morrow Mountain State Park.

The donation will be made once a new license is issued for the Yadkin Project.

Alcoa committed to trash cleanup at High Rock Lake

A record amount of water flowed into High Rock Lake this summer, bringing large amounts of debris from upstream along with it.

Alcoa pays crews to regularly clean up debris in the water. This year, it is also donating money to volunteer groups like the High Rock River Rats to help fund its cleanup efforts.

To help reduce litter, Alcoa is placing additional trash containers at two of the most popular access areas around the lake: the Dutch Second Access Area in Salisbury and the Southmont Access Area near Lexington.

If you'd like to assist in the cleanup effort, contact Julie Euliss with the High Rock Lake River Rats at (336) 210–6571.

Alcoa to fight NC lawsuit re: riverbed ownership

We received some disappointing news today: The NC Department of Administration today filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court seeking a declaratory judgment that the navigable portions of the Yadkin River bed are the property of the State of North Carolina. 

As a result of this lawsuit, we have learned that the NC Division of Water Resources has denied our application for a 401 water quality certificate.  

We believe this filing -- and the related decision to deny our 401 -- is flat-out wrong. Ownership of submerged lands is a question of federal law and we will immediately begin the legal process to move it to federal court. This ownership has already been decided by the US Supreme Court in a 9-0 decision in 2012 (Montana PPL v Montana). APGI is confident in its ownership position and that it will be firmly established in court. 

Despite making ourselves available to the Governor, we are disappointed that we didn't have the opportunity to discuss this with him before this suit was filed.

We remain committed to pursuing a new license for the Yadkin Project. However, it looks like we can expect additional delays and court challenges in the months ahead.

We will continue to update you on this issue as new developments arise.

Yadkin Ospreys Take Flight

Those of you who have been following our OspreyCam know that our three baby chicks – Ollie, Olive and Oscar Jr. – have recently taken flight and are preparing to leave the next and migrate south in the next few weeks.

We’ve received a ton of positive feedback about the OspreyCam and I wanted to share a few comments with you:

 “I want to thank you all for your time and effort and taking care of the camera so we can all enjoy watching Oscar & Oliveea and their babies.  I am an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles, and my classes and I have enjoyed the past two years of the activity there in Yadkin atop the dam.  It is so wonderful!  Will be tuning in next winter to see the new family of babies!!  Thanks so much, and God bless you all.”

“Thank you for this wonderful site!  I just discovered it this year and have deeply enjoyed watching the little family start and grow!  I am sure I will miss them when they leave this year, but looking forward to following it all again next year. Thank you for helping our wildlife and giving us a site like this to learn and enjoy.”

We look forward to watching the osprey again next year and hope you will join us to see the arrival of a new set of baby chicks. Osprey typically began working on their nest atop the Narrows Dam at Badin Lake in March. The chicks hatch in late April and take flight in June.

Alcoa relicensing agreement earns additional support

The Trading Ford Historical District Preservation Association is the latest organization to announce its support for Alcoa’s relicensing of its hydroelectric dams along the Yadkin River. The association formally endorsed the Relicensing Settlement Agreement in a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) earlier this month.

The relicensing agreement is now formally supported by 26 organizations, including North Carolina and South Carolina state agencies, local governments along the Yadkin River, environmental organizations, homeowner associations and recreational users.

“The relicensing of the Yadkin Project is in the best interests of cultural resources in the Yadkin Project area, and is beneficial to the public in Davie, Davidson, Montgomery, Rowan, and Stanly Counties,” reads a certificate signed by Ann Brownlee, president of the Trading Ford Historic District Preservation Association.

The Trading Ford Historical District Preservation Association has been an active participant in the relicensing process for nearly a decade. It joins Stanly County and Davidson County as groups that have formally added their names to the list of relicensing supporters this year.   

Relicensing supporters now include:

State and federal agencies, including the US Forest Service, the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, the SC Department of Health & Environmental Control, and the SC Department of Natural Resources.

Local governments along the Yadkin River, including the City of Albemarle, the Town of Badin and Davidson, Montgomery, Rowan and Stanly counties.

Environmental organizations, including American Rivers, the Land Trust for Central North Carolina, the Nature Conservancy (S.C. Chapter) and the S.C. Coastal Conservation League.

Local homeowners and recreational groups, including the Badin Lake Association, the High Rock Lake Association, the Piedmont Boat Club, and the Uwharrie Point Community Association.

Business organizations, including the High Rock Business Owners Group, the Pee Dee River Coalition, and the Salisbury/Rowan Association of Realtors.

Others supporters include the Catawba Indian Nation, Badin Historic Museum, and the Trading Ford Historical District Preservation Association.