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Many cove-lovers on Lake Hickory know the best place to find bass and catfish.
Others know where to look for trees being cut illegally and where muddy water is running off construction sites.
Keeping the trees standing and the dirt on dry land will go a long way toward preserving Lake Hickory's water quality – important for the fish that swim in it and the people who drink from it, says Catawba Riverkeeper David Merryman.
Three Catawba County inspectors enforce state laws that prohibit the removal of vegetation within 30 feet of shore and require silt fences to block dirty runoff from construction work.
But a group of 13 volunteers including Rani Holland of Hickory are the county's eyes and ears in spotting violations. She heads up a group of covekeepers on Lake Hickory who look for potential violations from their boats, cars or bikes.
The covekeepers have a 24-hour training regimen, taught by Merryman. They learn about water quality issues and how to document and report violations. “Sediment is the No.1 issue for the entire basin,” he said.
The state says it does not have enough money to properly enforce its 1973 Sedimentation Pollution Control Act. So Merryman says it welcomes help from Catawba County inspectors and volunteer cove watchers, like the one who spotted a property in Alexander County where the owner cut down 18 mature trees for a better lake view. The covekeeper took a series of photos as the trees were removed to verify the violation. The N.C. Division of Environment and Natural Resources fined the owner $30,000, which was used to replace the lost trees with large specimens.
Covekeepers take photos from a boat or a public street. “We stress no trespassing and no confrontations,” Merryman said.
The state requires a 50-foot buffer along the main stem of the Catawba and its lakes to protect water quality.
In a no-touch zone, no vegetation within 30 feet of the water can be cut. Beyond that, plants in an adjoining 20-foot zone can be managed and trimmed but that area must remain in vegetation.
Trees and other plants slow down rain runoff into the lake, helping prevent erosion. Plant roots also act as sponges, soaking up nitrogen and phosphorus before it reaches the lake, Merryman said.
The Catawba River has 11 lakes, and covekeepers are active on five of them – Hickory, Norman, Mountain Island, Wylie and Wateree. Covekeepers are asked to volunteer at least 10 hours a month looking for violators, and more are needed on Lake Hickory, which has 105 miles of shoreline and covers 4,223 acres.
“If I get a call or complaint, I will often call a Lake Hickory covekeeper to see if they can get a photo,” Merryman said. “The thing is to get it documented.”
Volunteers upload their photos and information to a Web site, which automatically notifies Catawba County, which can send an inspector. Problems on the Lake Hickory shore in Caldwell and Burke counties go to a regional state office in Asheville, while problems in Alexander County are handled by the state division in Mooresville.
Covekeepers and an affiliated group, Muddy Water Watchers, meet the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in Mauney Hall at Lenoir-Rhyne University. The meetings are open to the public. Or go to www.catawbariverkeeoper.org or call the riverkeeper office at (704) 679-9494.
