A five-foot drawdown of Lake Adger will begin on Thursday, Feb. 3 so surveyors can shoot a topographic survey to assist with an ongoing project at the lake.

This upcoming drawdown won’t last long, as the water level will return (depending on weather conditions) by Thursday, Feb. 10.

The long-range project, which is being overseen by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, will dredge almost 6,800 cubic yards of material to provide an adequate navigational channel at the Lake Adger Boating Access Area.

The lake, which 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 lake is known for its excellent muskie fishing.

According to Gary Gardner, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Engineering Section Chief, the drawdown is needed so surveyors for the dredging crew can shoot a topographic survey of the proposed placement areas using an aerial drone.

“This area of the lake was too shallow to be surveyed by the hydrographic survey crew during their recent survey of the navigation channel dredge area,” he said in a statement.

“Surveying the topography of the lakebed with a drone can be completed in a single day once the lake level is lowered sufficiently. The data from this survey will be used to identify any changes since the 2018 survey and to plan for the installation of containment measures around the placement cells in advance of the dredging operations.”