Mountain Island Lake Covekeepers
Welcome to our webpage.
Breaking Mountain Island Lake News....
• Lake Test Results Are In and They're Not Good
A recent sampling of our lake water, bottom sediment and fish has shown that the Duke Energy coal ash ponds are polluting our lake. See the results of the Riverkeeper's tests by clicking here.
Next monthly meeting -7 PM Monday, September 13th
Have a Safe Summer
A Message from the Mountain Island Lake Lakekeeper
Information about Mountain Island Lake
Mountain Island Lake Covekeepers News, Events and Outings
• Around Our Lake - Recent Covekeeper News
The MIL Covekeepers have been busy in Spring 2010. Some of us helped Riverkeeper David Merryman gather fish and water samples for heavy metal and PCB contamination testing (see previous story) while others helped with another Open Water Swim Challenge in the Gar Creek cove at Latta Plantation. We've also been attending to our adopted island in Duck Cove and adding to the prothonotary warbler boxes that have been set out up-river. Our recently placed warbler box at Duck Cove has a family in it and hopefully they will add to the bird population when they fledge.
The MIL Covekeepers have adopted an island under the Mountain Island Lake Wildlife Stewards Program. Six year old Junior Covekeeper Connor Myer helps put up our Adopt-an-Island sign in Duck Cove.
In March the MIL Covekeepers and friends were given a tour of the Killian Family Farm in Lincoln County which includes wetlands and streams such as Johnson Creek that flow into Mountain Island Lake. Since the construction of the new Highway 16, Johnson Creek has been a reoccurring source of sediment run-off (read pollution) into our lake.
• Riverkeeper Looks for Contamination on Mtn. Island Lake
• Mountain Island Lake Classified as Impaired
• New New Carolina Boating Safety Law Takes Effect
As of May 1st, 2010 anyone under the age of 26 operating a watercraft on NC public waters will have to show proof of compliance will the new Boating Safety Law. More information about the law and a schedule of free classes in North Carolina can be found on this NC Wildlife.org page.
• Big Sweep Results: Bottles, Cans, Baby Strollers.....
The Oct. 3rd, 2009 Big Sweep Event at MIL has been deemed a success. Thanks to all the volunteers who came out and helped make our lake a cleaner place to swim, boat and recreate. Click here for more details of the Covekeepers' efforts to take out the trash.
• Coal Ash Pond Issue
While our lake is home to beautiful sunsets, summer days of fun on the water and wildlife of all kinds, it is also the site of two of the EPA's High Hazard Coal Ash Impoundments which also happen to be just upstream from the primary water intakes for the cities of Charlotte, Gastonia, Mt. Holly and Belmont. Read more about this threat to our lake here and here and here.
• What Lives in Our Lake, Besides the Fish, Turtles, Snakes, Clams....
When you swim in our lake you are never alone. Besides fish or the occasional beer can our lake water is home to a variety of life forms. The Covekeepers wondered what they were so with the help of Riverkeeper David Merryman we set out to test the water. See what we found by clicking here.
• Muddy Water Blues
Want to take a guess at the number one threat to our lake? Us! That's right, it's not an invasive species, pollution from the factories located in the communities up and down the Catawba River or running out of water due to drought, though that could happen. No, it's our ever increasing use of and encroachment on our lake and the land around it. Read more about this important issue here.
• Covekeepers Duck Cove Survey
One of our missions is to track the health and use of our lake and the adjacent habitat. In July 2009 we ventured upriver to Duck Cove and the island there we adopted to see how that part of our lake is doing. You can find out more about that trip by clicking here.
• Is Anybody Home?
Photo Copyright © John Schwarz
• Attractive to Fish?!
• How You Can Help Our Lake
Pick up the Poop - If you're still reading then here's the deal: you kind of agreed to do this when you got your dog, just like you agreed to feed, take care of and get her shots. YES, it's disgusting; NO, no one really wants to do it and YES, your mother told you not to ever touch it. But, it needs to be picked up because otherwise it can end up in our lake where someone ends up swimming in it.
Keep Grass Clippings & Yardwaste Out of the Gutters and Storm Drains - Just like the poop it all eventually ends up in the lake, unless we make a conscious effort to keep it out. Please rake it, blow it and/or compost it, but try to keep it out of our water. Remember that the storm drains all eventually go to the lake and the Catawba River.
Respect the Buffer - The strip of land next to the lake and its creeks is called a buffer zone. We need to protect it and what lives in it. It's the law and it's also just good practice to leave it alone. Don't cut the trees there or kill the plants or build there or burn there, at least not without permission from the many regulatory agencies who have a say in what happens in the buffer. Just let it do what it does best, protect the lake. In some places, like Mecklenburg County the buffer is the first 100 feet of land after the high water mark, in other places it's the first 50 feet and some home owner associations even have their own rules.
If you have any questions send us an email or contact the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources - 704 663-1699
Go to the Catawba Riverkeeper Home Page by clicking here
