Lake Edith

Lake Edith is getting a makeover!

Every camper will tell you that the Lake Edith is “gross”. Don’t get me wrong, every camper LOVES our lake (it is a central part of the camp and everyone likes seeing it reflect the surrounding mountains) but they also think it is slimy and quite literally “eats” flip flops if you touch the bottom. Everyone agrees that touching the bottom of the lake is disgusting! It isn’t “sandy”… it is “slimy”.

We have tried LOTS of ways to make Lake Edith better: water aeration (bubbles),circulation pumps, and dredging small sections when possible. Nothing ever seemed to work… the mucky bottom of the lake was simply too big of a problem for any of these bandaids. So this year we brought out the BIG GUNS!

We got a permit to dredge the entire lakebed of Lake Edith when Duke Energy dropped the lake level this fall (they do this every 5 to 10 years for maintenance). We brought in a crew to do everything possible to dig it out and I am glad to tell you that their efforts are paying off. The lake has never been very deep (ranges from 2 feet to 8 feet deep) but that is about to change. We have been able to dig all the muck and sediment out to make the lake from 8 feet to 12 feet deep… we have dug out ALL THE WAY TO THE BEDROCK! Let me tell you why this is going to help:

• A deep lake is a fun lake. The deep water has more oxygen, is colder, and has more aquatic life… better for Waterpark activities, canoeing, and fishing.
• A deep lake is a pretty lake. The deep water lakes in this area have a lovely greenish blue color (Lake Edith was more of a brownish color).
• A deep lake is a healthy lake. Since the water is colder, bacteria does not bloom and the algae is eaten by the fish.
• A lake bed of rock is actually pleasant to touch… it actually provides a sandy layer that is nice to touch.

While we were in there we also added a new 160 foot fishing dock. “Pete’s Pier” (in honor of Mr. Pete who has run the fishing program for 18 years) is a two level dock that will provide a perfect spot for our new fishing hole. We will feed the fish as soon as the lake level rises, so by the time camp begins we will have a lot of “big ones” for you to catch. The deeper water will also attract the “trophy” large mouth bass and trout that represent the pinnacle of fishing excitement in the mountains. We think you will agree that it was worth the effort. See if you don’t notice the difference this summer!