Lake Lure Dams Discussed

North Carolina has awarded the remaining $3.4 million from a Hurricane Helene dam safety fund to three high-hazard dams in western North Carolina, while state environmental officials also acknowledged the continuing need for a long-term solution at Lake Lure Dam.

NC Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson announced the awards Sept. 16 at Turner Shoals Dam on Lake Adger in Polk County.

Turner Shoals will receive more than $1.3 million. Beech Lake Dam near Hendersonville will receive more than $1.2 million, while Ashe Lake Dam northeast of Boone will receive more than $840,000.

All three are classified as high-hazard dams, meaning a failure could result in loss of life or significant damage to homes, businesses, roads, utilities, or other infrastructure downstream.

“Dam safety is a matter of life and death,” Wilson said. “Today’s DEQ grants to repair three dams damaged by Helene will help ensure that people and property are protected during future floods.”

The awards complete the $10 million Dam Safety Grant Fund created by the General Assembly in 2025 for dams damaged by Helene. DEQ previously awarded about $6.6 million to six high-hazard dams.

Another $20 million was approved in the 2026 state budget for 12 additional dams, although Wilson said the identified needs exceed the money available.

Lake Adger dam survived massive flooding

Turner Shoals Dam, built in 1925, took an enormous amount of water during Helene.

Polk County Emergency Management Director Bobby Arledge said floodwaters rose high enough to reach the second-story windows of a building near the dam. NC 9 was also underwater.

Officials initially did not know whether the dam had survived.

“We actually had a couple reports that somebody had thought the dam had failed, so we came up, we deployed drones, we flew it,” Arledge said. “We found out the dam was doing what it’s supposed to be doing. It held.”

Arledge said county officials were “very, very appreciative” that the structure remained intact.

The storm still caused extensive damage.

The dam’s access road was destroyed, its penstocks were inoperable for an extended period, and debris and sediment accumulated throughout Lake Adger.

Water continued spilling over the dam’s spillway for roughly a year and a half while the penstocks were out of service, Arledge said.

They are now operating again, allowing officials to better control the lake level.

Crews have also been removing about 40 feet of debris near the dam’s intake area, according to Arledge. More than 500,000 cubic yards of sediment and silt have been removed from Lake Adger.

The $1.3 million state grant will help repair the access road and damaged earthwork so officials can once again routinely reach, inspect, maintain, and repair the dam.

The broader concern, Arledge said, is protecting people and infrastructure downstream.

“You know, making sure these property owners are safe, and you know they feel safe,” he said.

State expanding dam monitoring

Helene led DEQ to inspect more than 400 dams across western North Carolina after the storm. The department identified approximately 40 damaged structures, including 36 classified as high hazard.

Toby Vinson, director of DEQ’s Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources, said North Carolina has more than 7,500 dams in its inventory.

The state regulates approximately 3,500, including about 1,700 classified as high- or intermediate-hazard dams.

DEQ is also expanding several tools intended to improve emergency response.

The General Assembly recently authorized the department to develop inundation maps for high- and intermediate-hazard dams when owners cannot otherwise afford them. Those maps are used in emergency action plans to show areas that could be flooded if a dam fails.

The department has also developed a simplified emergency action plan process for smaller high- and intermediate-hazard dams.

DEQ, North Carolina Emergency Management, and the NC Department of Transportation are also developing an early-warning program known as Dam Watch.

Vinson said the system is designed to identify dams and areas of concern during emergencies and help agencies prioritize inspections, personnel, and equipment.

“The key to this is saving lives,” Vinson said.

Landslide warning system planned

DEQ is also developing an early-warning system for landslides after Helene triggered deadly slides across western North Carolina.

Vinson said the department’s landslide mapping team is remapping areas affected by the storm while continuing work in parts of North Carolina that have not previously been mapped.

The proposed warning system would use changing conditions, including heavy rainfall, to help state and local emergency managers identify increased landslide risk.

Vinson compared the concept to emergency alerts issued for tornadoes and flash flooding.

Officials hope to bring the system online within the next several years.

Wilson addresses Lake Lure Dam

Wilson said Lake Lure Dam’s survival during Helene avoided what could have been a catastrophic failure.

“I think a lot of people were worried that the Lake Lure Dam would fail,” Wilson said. “It did not. That is wonderful because that would have been catastrophic.”

He also emphasized the interconnected nature of mountain waterways.

“Everything’s connected,” Wilson said. “All this water flowing down these mountain creeks and streams. In the end, you know, one place upstream can influence what happens downstream.”

Wilson said he has visited Lake Lure Dam and toured the structure with Mayor Carol Pritchett.

“I have visited Lake Lure and gone to the top of the dam with the mayor, where she said, ‘We want a new dam,’” Wilson said. “Beyond that, I don’t know that I can comment, but I know that that is a need that the town has expressed.”

Wilson did not address how a replacement dam could be funded or what role the state may ultimately play.

Lake Lure is currently pursuing repairs to Helene-related damage while separately planning for the eventual replacement of the aging structure.

A replacement has been estimated to cost at least $175 million.

For now, the latest state funding is going to Turner Shoals, Beech Lake, and Ashe Lake, while another $20 million for 12 additional dams is expected to move through the state process next.

Wilson said those awards will be announced separately.

Vinson said the goal of the state’s broader dam safety work is not only to repair damaged structures, but to reduce risk before the next major storm.

“This creates resilience and reduces long-term costs for our communities and the state as a whole,” Vinson said. “The key to this is saving lives.”