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Tag: Lake Wateree

  • Duke enhances recreation at Lake Wateree

    Duke Energy and Fairfield County officials cut the ribbon on a new public recreation access area on Lake Wateree on Friday, Dec. 4. The enhancement makes Molly’s Creek the largest recreation access area in the company’s history.

    LAKE WATEREE – Duke Energy cut the ribbon on a new public recreation access area on Lake Wateree on Friday, Dec. 4.  It is the largest recreation access area in the company’s history and one of four planned for the Fairfield side of the Lake.

    These improvements are part of ongoing efforts to ensure quality recreation access areas are available for public use on Duke Energy-managed lakes. These investments are a result of commitments made by Duke Energy, Fairfield County and 69 other stakeholders in the Comprehensive Re-licensing Agreement signed in 2006 and required by the company’s hydroelectric operating license the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued in 2015.

    The Molly Creek Access Area is located at 604 Island Road in Fairfield.

    Photo provided by Duke Energy

  • Lake Wateree enhancements underway

    LAKE WATEREE – Major improvements to recreation and picnic areas around Lake Wateree that have been in the planning stage since 2006 are now underway full steam, according to John Crutchfield, a representative from Duke Energy, who updated county council members Monday night on the construction process.

    Among 89 sites to be improved by Duke Energy from Lake James to Lake Wateree over a 20-year span, at least three sites located on Lake Wateree in Fairfield County will be completed in the first five years and another one in the second five years, Crutchfield said.

    While the improvements are primarily in Councilman Jimmy Ray Douglas’s District 2 and some in Councilman Moses Bell’s District 1, Douglas told The Voice after the meeting that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission required Duke to develop the recreation improvement/management plan.

    “While we assisted in offering any information we could to Duke officials,” Douglas said, “They actually came to us with the plan. We were just happy to assist them in any way. The improvements will add a lot to the enjoyment of the lake.”

    The plan, Crutchfield said, is very detailed featuring construction timelines, operations and management.

    “All four of the first Fairfield sites we are improving will be completed by 2022 and include: Wateree Creek accessory which was completed last year,” Crutchfield said, “and it is now open to the public; Molly’s Creek a new access area, is under construction, and we’re underway with the engineering and design phase for Colonel’s Creek access area. Taylor’s Creek – in another five years,” Crutchfield said.

    “We’re legally bound to implement these plans,” Crutchfield said.

    Improvements for the Wateree Creek site include a fishing pier, picnic facility, restrooms and approximately 10 gravel parking spaces.

    Currently undeveloped, Molly’s Creek is under construction and will have a swimming area, paved parking, restrooms, trails, bank and pier fishing, picnic facilities and boat trailer parking. We started construction in late 2019 and we’ll will have that site completed in the late June, early July timeframe.

    “We are currently working on the fishing pier, the swim beach and the boat ramps. We’ve done the grading for the area, laid down the base coat for the parking and started on the curbing for the parking. We’ll also install three restrooms and an attendant storage building,” Crutchfield said.

    “As far Colonels Creek, we are currently in the engineering design and permitting phase. We expect to start construction in late April or May of next year and go through the next recreation season. We anticipate the swim beach will be open during the recreation season of 2022. We’re building the swimming areas, restrooms, picnic shelter and additional paved parking.

    Once Colonels Creek is completed, we will offer the county the opportunity to lease it through our Access Area Improvement Initiative lease program.

    Taylor’s Creek is a new site and will be constructed in the second five years, to be completed by 2027.

    “We plan to build a parking area for about 10 vehicles, and then a trail down to the lakes edge with a fishing trail for bank fishing opportunities,” Crutchfield said.

  • Duke Energy to spend millions on Wateree

    LAKE WATEREE – Enhanced recreation options are on the way to Lake Wateree by the end of 2019.

    As part of Duke Energy’s recreation management plan filed with federal regulators, three sites are slated for upgrades. They include the Colonels Creek, Taylors Creek and Molly Creek access areas, all on the western boundary of Lake Wateree.

    Duke submitted the management plan in 2016. Following some revisions, most not directly impacting Lake Wateree, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, signed off on the document in December 2017.

    “Specifically, the plan includes provisions to maintain existing project recreation sites and construct the required enhancements at both existing project recreation sites and new recreation sites,” the plan states. “All construction is to be completed in 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-year intervals, with the majority of the recreation facilities and sites completed within five years.”

    Fairfield County Administrator Jason Taylor likened the Lake Wateree possibilities to similar amenities found at the Lake Monticello Park off S.C. 215, near Jenkinsville.

    County leaders are confident the park facilities will become a major draw locally and regionally.

    “It’s going to [mean] millions of dollars,” for Fairfield County, County Councilman Jimmy Ray Douglas said. “You’ll get a lot of people from Winnsboro. This is really a big project.”

    Taxpayers shouldn’t incur any extra expense for the recreation upgrades. Douglas said Duke plans to handle the bulk of upkeep itself, and was also hopeful the state would lend some assistance.

    “It won’t cost the county a penny. They (Duke) are going to do all the work themselves,” he said.

    The Lake Wateree upgrades and others are spelled out in the management plan that Duke submitted. The vast majority of recreation enhancements are along the Catawba and Wateree rivers.

    New or upgraded sites are planned in Fairfield, Lancaster, Kershaw, York and Chester counties in South Carolina, as well as numerous counties in North Carolina, according to the 39-page document.

    “Further, the plan provides for enhancements at existing recreation sites and development of new recreation sites, and reserves sites for future use as needed,” the plan states. “The plan will meet foreseeable recreation demand, includes monitoring provisions over the term of the license, and is supported by the consulted entities.”

    In Fairfield County, the sites lie along the western boundaries of Lake Wateree. Here’s a list of proposed amenities by site, according to public records.

    • Molly Creek Access Area – Approximately 100-acre site with a swimming area, paved parking, restrooms, trails, bank and pier fishing; picnic facilities, and trailered boat access.;
    • Colonels Creek Access Area – Courtesy dock; swimming area; restrooms; picnic shelter; additional paved parking.
    • Wateree Creek Access Area – Fishing pier, picnic facility, restroom, and 10 gravel parking spaces;

    Additional expansion at Taylors Creek is possible, as is an RV campground and boathouse at Molly Creek, documents state.

  • Tornado downs trees, smashes homes

    Charlie Robertson stands in front of what’s left of one end of his home on Highway 21 on the edge of Ridgeway after a giant tree fell on top of it, crushing the kitchen and family room areas of the home. | Photos: Barbara Ball

    FAIRFIELD COUNTY – Storms moved through Fairfield County between 2:30 and 3 p.m. Sunday bringing rain, high winds and spawning at least one tornado along the east side of the County with many reports of trees down causing considerable damage to structures from Ridgeway to Mitford.

    The National Weather Service notified the County offices Monday that a tornado, with winds in excess of 86 miles per hour, touched down in the Ridgeway-Lake Wateree area.

    Some of the storm’s worst destruction could be followed from the Ridgeway area north, along Lake Wateree, to the Mitford area, as it toppled giant oak and pine trees in its path. Some of those trees crashed through roofs and sliced into homes causing heavy damage. Several roads were blocked by fallen trees.

    Some areas along the storm’s path were reported to be without electricity until Monday.

    No injuries have been reported.