BY ANDREW KASPER STAFF WRITER ith September’s tropical storm season gearing up, residents living downstream of large Duke Energy dams in Western North Carolina may spend the fall on high alert, wondering when and if Duke will open the flood gates to release pent-up water from its dams on the
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Clyde Police Chief Gerard Ball was suspended last Friday for five days without pay until the town board was able to meet and further discuss his employment status. The Clyde town board will hold a specially-scheduled meeting Wednesday, Sept. 4, but discussions about Ball would be held behind closed doors due to personnel confidentiality issues, according to town officials. Ball was named police chief just over a year ago in July 2012. Ironically, Ball’s predecessor — Chief Derek Dendy — was put on 30 days of unpaid suspension before ultimately being fired for misconduct last January. Ball was previously the chief of the Cherokee Alcohol Law Enforcement division under the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian.
A panel discussion on “Changes to North Carolina Voting Laws: Improving or Impairing Elections?” will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Western Carolina University as part of Constitution Day activities. Discussion will focus on the suite of new voter laws, including voter identification, shortening the time for early voting, removal of straight-ticket voting and recent cases involving the Voting Rights Act. “This topic is important as we recognize the significance of the Constitution in our democratic system,” said Todd Collins, associate professor of political science and public affairs and director of the WCU Public Policy Institute. Panelists in addition to Collins will include Kory Swanson, executive vice president of the John Locke Foundation; Zeb Smathers, a member of the Democracy North Carolina board of directors; and Chris Cooper, head of the WCU political science and public affairs department. The event will be held in Room 130 of the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center. 828.227.3398 or tcollins@wcu.edu.
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Clyde police chief suspended for unknown reasons
splashing over the top of its floodgates, said Lisa Hoffmann, a spokesperson for Duke. “Even though it can cause some issues in low-lying areas, it is better than the other way,” Hoffmann said. Despite what people think, the gates are not opened to prevent the dam from collapsing. The dam walls are built to withstand floods beyond what has ever been seen in recorded history, she said. The flood gates are opened to keep the gate mechanisms from being broken should heavy debris be carried over the top of the gates by raising water, Hoffmann said. Only enough water is released to bring reservoirs down to normal levels, she added. Another method for controlling water is to pre-drain a reservoir. In anticipation of the early July rains, Duke ran turbines to push water out of its reservoirs, Hoffmann said. However, relentless rainfall and a saturated ground caused the reservoir levels to rise faster than anticipated, she said, forcing Duke to open its flood gates anyway. “It was out of our control so to speak,” Hoffmann said. She also pointed to record rainfall in the region. Glenville Lake received 30 inches more rain from January through mid-July this year than it does in a typical year.
September 4-10, 2013
shelter. Seven people showed up at the shelter, located in a county senior center. Downstream flooding wasn’t as bad as it could have been had the rain not stopped when it did. Duke was able to shut the flood gates back again after a matter of hours sparing extensive property damage. “Everything went really well,” Dillard said. “But can’t say it will go that well the next time.” Like Jackson, Swain County had to deal with several unplanned water releases coming off Nantahala Lake throughout the summer as well. A riverside campground even had to be evacuated. But Lake Glenville is an expansive reservoir, but it Swain County occasionally overtops from heavy rains, and flood Emergency gates release water downstream. Donated photo Management Coordinator Nantahala and Tuckasegee rivers. David Breedlove said he’d welcome a conWith no path to follow other than the trolled release any day over the alternative. riverbed, the surge of water floods downRain and dam releases filled the Nantahala stream and sometimes jumps the banks River to the brim, and sometimes over, durflooding riverside houses. ing July. The heavy rains this summer prompted “You can let it out in a measured manDuke to open flood gates on both rivers, ner, in which it is controlled and you notify sending Jackson and Swain county emerpeople downstream,” Breedlove said “Or gency officials scrambling to warn residents failure to do so can cause catastrophic failabout the potential for impending floods. ures.” In early July, Duke told Jackson County The brunt of hurricane season is yet to Emergency Management Director Todd come, bringing the risk of prolonged heavy Dillard it was opening the dam gates at rain should storm systems settle in over the Lake Glenville because water levels in the mountains, as was the case in 2004. On the lake had gotten too high. heels of such a wet summer, there’s not “We just had a couple hours notice,” much capacity to absorb a major rainfall. Dillard said. “This was one of those short “This would be a good season not to notice events.” have a tropical system,” Dillard said. The county used its alert system to While the region is at the mercy of the inform residents via phone, text or email weather, in many ways, it’s also at the mercy about the high water about to surge down of Duke. Dillard said the company is always the Tuck. Although it was late in the diligent in letting local emergency personevening, in no time, dozens of fire and resnel know when it will release water, but cue personnel were knocking on doors of when the phone call comes, he knows he houses in the low-lying areas or close to the better get moving. river banks — from Glenville to Dillsboro When Duke opens the dam on short — and assembling a makeshift emergency notice it is primarily to prevent water from
Panel to discuss new state voting laws at Western Carolina
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In the shadow of Duke dams, heavy rains can trigger downstream flooding
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