While dredging continues at Lake Adger to provide an adequate navigational channel at the Lake Adger Boating Access Area, the Polk County Board of Commissioners have proactively opted to take an additional measure to ensure the lake’s future.

The Commissioners recently agreed to hire an environmental planning firm to develop a request for proposals (RFP) with a private entity to enter into a contract with the County to operate a sand and gravel mine on County-owned property on the Green River, which flows into Lake Adger. The intent of this project is to reduce sediment going into the lake.

Quible and Associates, P.C., a firm with an office in Black Mountain, is working on the RFP and will post it for bids soon.

The contractor awarded the bid and will be responsible for permitting, constructing, maintaining, and operating the facility for the contract’s life, and will submit an annual report to the county. Plans after a bid is accepted is for a 10-year contract to dredge, with the potential of an additional 10 years.

As with any project of this scope, there are multiple permits to consider, so any dredging for this project by a successful bidder will not begin for an undetermined amount of time. Many agencies will be inspecting and approving the project throughout its duration.

At the moment, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is currently dredging at Lake Adger Marina. Lake Adger is used for recreational activities like boating, fishing, and swimming, is more than 430 surface acres and has more than 14 miles of shoreline. The plan is to dredge almost 6,800 cubic yards of material from the lake and do inland placement and habitat creations where the river is already forming deltas. For more on this project, click here.