water quality
Algae bloom in cove off Torrence Chapel; no swim advisory still in effect
June 14. [Updated 9 am June 16] An active Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) has been found in a cove off Torrence Chapel Road. Lake users are advised to avoid the cove until the bloom is no longer present. The algae bloom is cyanobacteria. The bloom was confirmed by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services after a report […]
Wastewater overflow in 16000 block/area of Jetton
Oct. 11. Charlotte Water is reporting a wastewater overflow in the 16000 area of Jetton Road due to a low pressure pipe leaking wastewater into Lake Norman. A pipe failure caused the overflow and an estimated 255 gallons (out of 510 gallons) reached Lake Norman Most homes along the lakes are served by low pressure […]
Lyngbya treatments are under way on the lake
April 16. Lyngbya treatments have begun on lake around Cornelius, according to the Lake Norman Marine Commission. The noxious dark-colored mats have a musty odor and make swimming problematic as temperatures rise. As of right now, Lyngbya infestation levels are relatively low—about 10 acres. A push by local stakeholders has resulted in the Marine Commission […]
Lyngbya survey begins next week; residents can help
March 18. The Lake Norman Marine Commission in partnership with the NC State Aquatic Plant Management Program will begin surveying Lake Norman the week of March 25 for Lyngbya cyanobacteria, the unsightly blue-green algae that wreaks havoc with boaters and swimmers. People can report its presence to help create an effective treatment plan. To do […]
Full funding announced for Lyngbya eradication
Feb. 15. The community-organized Cornelius Water Project announced today that the 2024 Lyngbya Eradication Project for Lake Norman has been fully funded. Investments from Charlotte Water, the City of Charlotte, and Duke Energy along with Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg Counties have provided all the funding required for the 2024 treatments. Some $15,000 has already […]
$60,000 needed to battle Lyngbya in early stages on Lake Norman
Jan. 31. By Dave Yochum. Funding for the battle against Lyngbya must be in place by April 1 to stem the fast-rising tide of noxious blue-green algae in Lake Norman, local officials and concerned citizens say. From 2022 to 2023 Lyngbya doubled in Lake Norman, with dense mats—sometimes called sludge—evident in coves around Cornelius, more […]
Lyngbya meeting tonight will address concerns about noxious algae
Jan. 30. By Dave Yochum. The lyngbya cyanobhacteria problem in Lake Norman is not going away, according to health and water quality officials. It has also invaded High Rock Lake and Lake Gaston, where officials are trying to manage if not eradicate the “filamentous cyanobacteria” that forms large nuisance growths on the lake bottom. Thing […]
Wastewater spill on Belle Isle near John Connor
Jan. 12. Charlotte Water crews responded to a wastewater overflow in the 17300 block of Belle Isle Drive last night. An estimated 900 gallons of sewage reached Lake Norman. Charlotte Water said most homes along the lake that are served by low pressure sewer systems convey waste to a gravity-fed sewer to wastewater treatment plants. […]
Lyngbya Q&A: Did sewage spills encourage the outbreak?
Q: After more than a dozen sewage spills in Cornelius waters over the past three years, is there a relationship between these spills and the Lyngbya outbreak? A: No, the sewer spills that have plagued that area probably have little effect on the Lyngbya growth. Lyngbya doesn’t use the available nutrients in the water column, […]
Task force forming to attack Lyngbya, a growing problem
Sept. 27. By Dave Yochum. In the wake of a meeting at The Peninsula Club yesterday, local leaders will form a task force on a problem that is literally growing. Algae blooms known as Lyngbya wollei are apparently a threat to Lake Norman on the order of Hydrilla. Former NC Sen. Jeff Tarte said state […]
