Lake Lure making major progress clearing lake's debris pile

    LAKE LURE, North Carolina (WLOS) -- Lake Lure is clear of 5,598 cubic yards of debris, totaling 407 dump truck loads, though debris piles are growing larger by the day.

The trucks haul the debris to two lots, with one sitting behind Lake Lure's Park and Recreation building on Memorial Highway, and the other in Morse Park behind the Town Hall.

"I've been amazed to see what the city and now the US Army Corp of Engineers is doing to get debris out of the lake," said Dan Bragdon, the executive director for Camp Lurecrest.

Bragdon said he is preparing for another group of volunteers to stay for free at the camp in large cabins with bunks.

He said the camp staff has been working closely with Lake Lure, initially helping with mud-outs and clean-up, and even providing the town with a barge to help pull debris in the first days after Helene.

"These are heaters we’ve prioritized," said Bragdon. "Propane heaters we’re going to try and get those into the Chimney Rock and Bat Cave area."

Bragdon said the heaters are to help people living in tents or unheated structures as the weather turns cold, and that during the recovery process, the camp has provided lodging for more than 500 volunteers who've come to Lake Lure to help the town clean up,

The next group coming is with non-profit Spokes For Hope, which has been focused on helping Chimney Rock for weeks and is the lead in that effort to help the town.

Bragdon said at a recent Lake Lure meeting officials were hopeful total Lake Lure clean-up would be complete in three weeks.

“I know it’s going to be an eyesore for a short amount of time,” said Bragdon about the debris. “But I see how fast the progress is happening — the lake’s clearing and diminished, which means they're processing it all, and FEMA is doing their work as well.”

Dave Connolly, Chief of Public Affairs for the US Army Corp of Engineers, Wilmington District, said he is happy to report the "great progress" the corp has made.

"As of yesterday, we had picked up approximately five thousand cubic yards of debris," said Connolly. "This is how it’s done: we’ve created basically created a floating barge — we have some equipment on smaller barges and specialized vessels out there, which are able to place the material on that floating barge."

A town statement said that any hazardous materials are being identified and are then separated and removed from organic materials like trees and wood.

"Hazardous material staging and environmental monitoring protocols are conducted in compliance with NCDEQ regulations," the statement on Lake Lure’s website states.