A Problem with many Sources

Due to geography, significant weather events over several decades and many man-made events, such as timber cutting, the lake has dramatically changed over the course of its history. All of these activities contribute to erosion, landslides, and sedimentation.

Our lake sits at the bottom of a 94-square mile watershed which covers parts of Buncombe, Henderson, and Rutherford Counties and a very small portion of McDowell County.

There are a total of 48 watercourses that empty directly into Lake Lure, including the Broad River.  Each of these is continually depositing silt (fines), sediment (sand), gravel, and even occasionally boulders into the lake.  Erosion is continually occurring along the shoreline of the lake due to wave and wind action.

Considering that a singular storm event cost over a million dollars just to remove 250,000 cubic yards of sediment, one quickly realizes that "Gem of the Carolinas," could very quickly become a giant mud puddle if proactive measures are not implemented.

The issue of sedimentation and silt management was referred to prominently in the 2007-2027 Comprehensive Plan. And it was heavily studied and discussed by the town-appointed Lake Advisory Board during the 2014-2015 budget negotiations.