Lake Lure Marine Commission Meeting Summary - March 10, 2026

Thank you for joining us for the Town of Lake Lure Marine Commission Meeting & Public Hearing on Tuesday, March 10, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. 

• The meeting was held on The Lakeside Terrace at Rumbling Bald on Lake Lure, 153 Mountains Blvd. Lake Lure, NC 28746. 

• The public was invited to attend the meeting. 

• The following is a summary of the meeting for those who were unable to attend.  These are not the official meeting minutes which will be included in the next quarterly meeting packet. 

• You may review the meeting packet for additional information.

I. Call to Order

Mayor Pritchett called the meeting to order and thanked attendees for joining the meeting.

II. Public Comment:

The public is invited to speak on any non-agenda and/or consent agenda topics. Comments should be limited to less than three minutes.

There were no public comments.

V. Consent Agenda

A. Approval of the December 10, 2025 Regular Marine Commission Meeting Minutes

The consent agenda was approved.

VI. Unfinished Business

There was no unfinished business.

VII. Appeal Hearings

There were no appeal hearings.

VIII. New Business

A. Lake Advisory Board Annual Report: Lake Advisory Board Chair, Jim Lemmons provided a summary of the board accomplishments for 2026 and goals for 2026. 

• 2025 was a year of repair and recovery with the lake drawn down to allow for the removal of both surface and subsurface debris, silt and sedimentation. Our priority was clear, we needed to focus on getting the Lake back to a healthy state. This was needed for the health of the community and the area businesses.

• January of 2025 was the first gathering post-Helene of the Lake Advisory Board.
• Our Board discussed many Lake and Town recovery activities:

1. Updates on the removal of vast quantities of surface debris and subsurface debris, silt, and sediment.
2. Ongoing water sampling that provided an understanding of the improving quality of the lake water both chemically and clarity.
3. Progress made on recovering motorized boats off the Lake.
4. Activities to reunite recovered non-motorized boats with their owners.
5. Lake Lure Dam activities:
   1. Reservoir drain valve completion and successful testing
   2. Tainter gate repair
6. Additionally updates regarding the Town Marina replacement

• Additional accomplishments in 2025 include: 
  • A mid-year health check on the fish population in the lake.  With the town's permission, Board member Gary Hasenfus fished an area of the lake near Rumbling Bald to check the health of the fish and caught 11 large mouth bass. All appeared neutral in color and a little thin, but overall appearance was healthy. Results were not surprising with the water turbidity and decrease in habitat and available food sources.
  • Minor revisions were made to the Lake Use Regulations:
    1. Clarifications regarding the transfer of seasonal boat permits.
    2. Clarification of the authorized procedure for buoy placement and penalties for unauthorized movement or removal.
    3. Revised definition of “No Wake” time frame changed to ‘sunset to sunrise’
    4. Reinstate the requirement for Commercial non-motorized permits for non-motorized boats that accompany a vacation rental.
    5. Eliminated the weight requirements for permitting boats on Lake Lure
• The Lake Advisor Board reviewed a permit application for a new marina at the south end of the lake by Tryon Bay, now called “Lake Life Marina”. The proposal included a public fueling station and 14 slips with 9 available to rent. The board determined the proposal was in compliance on all points that pertain to the Lake Advisory Board’s scope and recommended approval to the Marine Commission.

• Reviewed and approved the buoy plan with minor revisions. Recommendation to the Marine Commission that the buoys at the lake’s southernmost point, closest to Tryon Bay Bridge, be adjusted. This would eliminate buoy 19 and move buoy 18 up to align with buoy 20 in order to create a safer, more navigable no-wake area.
• Coordinated the collection of a record 300+ Christmas trees to help rebuild the Lake Lure fish habitat.
• Seeing the water rising and marina construction happening at each end of the lake we are all excited about the 2026 season and the exciting plans and opportunities in front of us.

2026 goals and objectives:

• This spring, Dave Lusk, Gary Hassenfus will organize the rebuilding of the Lake Lure fish habitat with the coordinated placement of over 300 Christmas collected.

• Gary will arrange and oversee the stocking of threadfin shad feeder fish into the lake to increase the available food source.
• Gary will also coordinate a 2026 fish study with Southeastern Pond Management in May of this year to understand the state, and population balance of the fish community post storm.
• Evaluate the impact of the new “Lake Life Marina” on boat navigation in the Tryon Bay area of the lake. Looking at it from a safe navigation and boat and public safety perspective.
• Evaluate the changes made to the no-wake buoy placement, again looking at it from a safe navigation and boat and public safety perspective.
• Evaluate the impact of potentially adding a non-motorized boat launch area to the Broad River side of Morse Park separating motorized and non-motorized entry into the main channel of the lake.
• Evaluate the impact of motorized and non-motorized boat navigation on the West end of Lake Lure past Memorial Highway bridge.
• We will assess boating impact post-Helene:
  1. What will the new normal be for the number of boat permits
  2. Will the new normal impact the number of Lake Use Regulation infractions

• As always, continue to closely work with the Police Department to gather data and possibly make adjustments to our Lake Use Regulations to provide a safer environment.

B. Updated Buoy Map: Parks, Rec, Lake Director Dana Bradley provided an overview of the 2026 Buoy Map. 

• The Lake Advisory Board (LAB) has recommended an update to the Lake Lure Buoy Map.
• The recommendation is to move the buoy from Tryon Bay (Buoy 18 on the 2024 map) up so it will be directly beside the buoy near Camp Lurecrest (Buoy 20 on the 2024 map) and remove buoy 19, as it would no longer be necessary.
• This will make the entire cove beyond that point a no-wake zone and will increase the safety of people boating and swimming in that area.

C. Consider Approval of the 2026 Commercial Model

• Parks, Rec, Lake Director Dana Bradley presented the 2026 Commercial Model.
• Please refer to the meeting packet to review the model.

The model was approved.

D. Lake Lure Opening Plan

• The Lake Advisory Board (LAB) has recommended approving the Lake Lure Opening Plan that was presented to the Board on 3/2/2026.
• This document contains official reopening information and procedures.

Lake Lure Opening Plan

Lake Lure water levels are rising in preparation for reopening this Spring. River flow is maintained downstream of the dam via the recently installed drain valve and tainter (flood) gates to maximize the lake refill time. Rainfall and potential lake infrastructure repairs will affect the lake rise rate. These include:

• Wastewater collection system checks and repairs as necessary

• Damaged boathouse integrity checks and potential removal or repair

• Debris removal from previously inaccessible areas

• Backshore erosion stabilization and seawall repair

• Boat ramp restoration to allow safe access

• West-end dredging with river-bank stabilization from Memorial Bridge to the tip of Morse Park

• Washburn Marina docks and fueling area construction

• Fish habitat restoration and navigation buoy placement

The following milestone dates are dependent on precipitation and required maintenance as described, but provide a planning framework for an orderly reopening process:

Lake Infrastructure Maintenance Period (Current level to full pond): Town public works is conducting lake infrastructure checks and authorized contractors will perform debris removal and structural repairs as previously outlined. Supervised activities such as the annual college crew training may be granted limited access with special safety supervision.

Boat Transport Period by Contractors with limited Ramp Access (Below normal operating levels at five feet below full pond to full pond defined as 984-989.5 Mean Sea Level): This period is estimated to be about three weeks, but the estimate is rainfall dependent. Authorized boat transfer contractors will be formally notified and permitted to ferry boats onto the lake with transfer to available boat docks at the discretion of Lake Lure property owners. Transfers may be arranged through your boat storage and maintenance agent. Personal boat transfers will not be allowed until the Washburn ramp is safe and fully operational. Permit stickers are waived for this activity, but owners must obtain regular permits prior to follow-on recreational activity.

Lake Reopening – Unlimited Recreational Use with Unlimited Ramp Access (Within normal operating level approximately 989 MSL+): The town will strive to reach this level at the earliest opportunity. The lake will be opened by formal declaration for general recreational use including both motorized and non-motorized vessels. Washburn Marina ramp access is expected to be fully operational. Vessels will require operating permits as defined in the lake use regulations.

IX. Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned.