High Rock Lake Association
Encyclopedia
The High Rock Lake Association, Inc. (also known as "HRLA") is a non-profit group of businesses and individuals with the common goal of protecting the environment at High Rock Lake
and the surrounding Yadkin Project area. It was founded in 1954. They have served as the primary representative for individual home owners and businesses in discussions with the federal government and Alcoa during the 2001-2002 and 2007-2008 droughts, and during the 2008 federal contract resolution. The Board of Directors and Officers are all volunteers who serve without pay. Their main source of income is from contributions and member dues.
, and is managed under federal license by Alcoa
. The licensing process is years long and has traditionally been relicensed for 50 years at a time, with the latest contract expected to be signed in 2008. The last contract was signed in 1958, at a time when virtually no homes were on the lake and the environment was less of a concern than the hydroelectric power the dam provided.
Their position has sometimes been controversial, such as opposing the City of Salisbury
's demand that Alcoa pay for sedimentation
removal and they have publicly stated that their goal is to find a balance between the hydroelectric project, local home owners and businesses, and the environment.
High Rock Lake
High Rock Lake is the northernmost of the Uwharrie Lakes and the second largest lake in North Carolina behind Lake Norman. Its water surface covers and there are of shoreline. It begins at the confluence of the Yadkin River and the South Yadkin River. The lake's name is derived from neighboring...
and the surrounding Yadkin Project area. It was founded in 1954. They have served as the primary representative for individual home owners and businesses in discussions with the federal government and Alcoa during the 2001-2002 and 2007-2008 droughts, and during the 2008 federal contract resolution. The Board of Directors and Officers are all volunteers who serve without pay. Their main source of income is from contributions and member dues.
Background
High Rock Lake is the second largest lake in North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and is managed under federal license by Alcoa
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
. The licensing process is years long and has traditionally been relicensed for 50 years at a time, with the latest contract expected to be signed in 2008. The last contract was signed in 1958, at a time when virtually no homes were on the lake and the environment was less of a concern than the hydroelectric power the dam provided.
History
The association is known for protecting the local environment over the years, including fighting to prevent a nuclear power plant from being built on the Yadkin River which would have used up to 75 million gallons of water per day. More recently, the association took a visible role when the lake levels of High Rock Lake dropped to 24 feet below full in 2002. This resulting in a large fish kill and other damage to the environment, as well as the inability of local home owners and visitors to use the facilities of the lake. They have played a significant role in the development of new polices and regulations in the management of the lake levels since the drought.Current activities
In 2007 and early 2008, the entire State of North Carolina is experiencing a severe drought similar to that of 2001-2002. During this time, Alcoa has been granted permission to operate under the proposed guidelines of the pending 2008 contract, and the lake levels have been dramatically higher than during the previous drought. These new policies were negotiated in part by the Association, which plays a part in all policy modifications and discussions with the FERC.Their position has sometimes been controversial, such as opposing the City of Salisbury
City of Salisbury
The City of Salisbury is a local government area located on the northern fringes of Adelaide, South Australia. It has an estimated population of 130,022 people and encompasses an area of 158km². The council's main offices are situated in the Salisbury central business district.-Suburbs:-External...
's demand that Alcoa pay for sedimentation
Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained, and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the forces acting on them: these forces can be due to gravity, centrifugal acceleration...
removal and they have publicly stated that their goal is to find a balance between the hydroelectric project, local home owners and businesses, and the environment.
See also
- SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
- BiodiversityBiodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
- Global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
- RecyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
- EcologyEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
- Earth ScienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
- Natural environmentNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
- Lexington, North CarolinaLexington, North CarolinaLexington is the county seat of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,953. It is located in central North Carolina, twenty miles south of Winston-Salem. Major highways include I-85, U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 70, U.S. Route 52 ...
- Yadkin RiverYadkin RiverThe Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river are impounded by dams for water, power, and flood control. The river becomes the Pee Dee...
- HydroelectricityHydroelectricityHydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...