Instead of curbing pollution, state lawmakers consider funding chemical treatment for Jordan Lake.
T o clean up the pollution in Jordan Lake, North Carolina lawmakers have tried arguing.
Now state officials are examining a potential chemical treatment for the lake — yet another experiment on a vital drinking water source for more than 350,000 people.
NCPW has confirmed that the NC Department of Environmental Quality has been presented with a “demonstration project that we are continuing to review” with the US Army Corps of Engineers, said Jamie Kritzer, DEQ acting deputy secretary for public affairs.
Funding for the chemical treatment could be included in the Senate’s proposed budget, sources told NCPW.
However, one of the state’s most powerful lobbyists, Harold Brubaker, who served 35 years in the House, including two terms as Speaker, represents SePro, a “life sciences” company that sells chemicals to kill aquatic plants in lakes and reservoirs.
However, a representative for the lobbying group said she would pass along a message to SePro seeking comment from NCPW.
But many of the active ingredients are “proprietary,” according to the label, and not publicly available.
However, labels several of the products also state that there are no restrictions on fishing or swimming after the chemicals have been applied in the water.
The state spent $1 million on a failed SolarBees project, essentially gigantic eggbeaters that were supposed to stir the lake water and prevent algae from forming.

PUBLIC NOTICE: Proposal to accept funds from the California Department of Water Resources.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District has posted Public Notice SPK-2017-00271 to www.spk.usace.army.mil/Media/RegulatoryPublicNotices.aspx This Public Notice announces the preliminary intent of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District to accept funds contributed by the California Department of Water Resources in order to expedite processing of their permit applications which would implement projects related to system improvements; operations and maintenance and repair, rehabilitation or replacement (O&M, RRR) of features of the State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC), and to assist in the implementation of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan and integration of its Conservation Strategy.
Written comments and/or a request for a paper copy of the notice may be submitted to project manager Michael Nepstad at email Michael.G.Nepstad@usace.army.mil or by mail at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, Regulatory Division, ATTN: Michael Nepstad, 1325 J Street, Room 1350, Sacramento, CA 95814-2922.
Comments must be received by 25 April 2017.
Regulatory Division US Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District 1325 J Street, Room 1350, Sacramento, CA 95814-2922
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Corps of Engineers launching new drought operations for ACF Basin.
The drought that has caused Lake Lanier to drop well below its full pool level is now forcing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take a different approach to downstream water releases.
The corps’ Mobile District office announced it has begun implementing drought operations on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin.
Officials said they are cutting the releases from 12,100 cubic feet per second to 5,000 cubic feet per second at Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam at Lake Seminole, where the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers merge on the Georgia-Florida line to become the Apalachicola.
“By entering drought operations, the minimum flow into the Apalachicola River to protect threatened and endangered species becomes 5,000 cubic feet per second,” District Public Affairs Officer Lisa Hunter said in a statement.
“Provisions of the ACF drought plan allow us to maintain this minimum flow and store all available rainfall, when possible, until the basin recovers sufficiently to come out of drought operations.” The new reduced water releases were put into place immediately after a new water control manual for the basin, which allows the corps to start drought operations sooner, was put into effect.
Another reservoir on the river, however, is Lake Lanier, which has seen water levels drop from last May until this spring, bottoming out at 1,060.22 on Dec. 31.
That is still nearly nine feet below its full pool level of 1,071 feet.
Still, the above normal levels at two of the three reservoirs on the Chattahoochee, as well as the heavy rains that moved through Georgia this week, means there will be some lag on getting water releases down to 5,000 cubic feet per second.
“Because the West Point and Walter F. George reservoirs are above normal pool levels and normal rainfall is forecasted this week, reduced releases from the Jim Woodruff Lock and Dam will not occur immediately.” Hunter said.

Trump begins WOTUS rollback with executive order.
The rule designates what smaller bodies of water, tributaries and wetlands are under the control of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers.
The President’s order instructs both departments to formally reconsider the Water of the United States rule or WOTUS.
"The EPA so-called Waters of the United States rule is one of the worst examples of federal regulation, and it has truly run amok, and is one of the rules most strongly opposed by farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers all across our land," Trump told NBC news.
"It’s prohibiting them from being allowed to do what they’re supposed to be doing.
It has been a disaster.
With today’s executive order I’m directing the EPA to take action paving the way for the elimination of this very destructive and horrible rule," Trump said.
The rule was signed by President Obama in May of 2015, and went into effect in late August of 2015.
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt issued the following statement after the executive order was signed: “EPA intends to immediately implement the Executive Order and submit a Notice to the Office of the Federal Register announcing our intent to review the 2015 Rule, and then to propose a new rule that will rescind or revise that rule.
The President’s action today preserves a federal role in protecting water, but it also restores the states’ important role in the regulation of water.”

From the Department of Water Resources: Crews removing a debris pile, estimated at roughly 1.5 million cubic yards, continue to make progress two days after the Department of Water Resources (DWR) halted flows down the damaged flood control spillway.
Lake Oroville is not expected to rise above 860 feet elevation while spillway flows are halted.
That lake level would be 41 feet below the level of the emergency spillway.
“We are working around-the-clock to get the power plant back online.” DWR does not expect the anticipated wet weather to interfere with debris removal or to create a lake elevation concern.
This complex of small reservoirs just downstream of Oroville Dam will provide enough water to maintain flows for approximately six days.
Work continues on the area below the emergency spillway, access roads, and other areas eroded by the emergency spillway runoff.
DWR continues to monitor the status of the dam, spillways, the Hyatt Power Plant and the progress of repair activities.
For a timeline of events regarding the Oroville spillway incident: http://www.water.ca.gov/oroville-spillway/index.cfm The latest photos from Department of Water Resources … Biologists from Fish and Wildlife and the California Department of Water Resources count the small salmon captured after the waters of the Feather River receded from the reduced outflow from the damaged Oroville Dam spillway.
Brian Baer/ California Department of Water Resources, FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY The latest video from Oroville … ——————————————– Sign up for daily email service and you’ll always be one of the first to know!
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