Trees in Lake Wylie: Fair or foul?

A local lake contractor believes concern about dumped trees is a matter of residents unfamiliar with rules on the water.

“I get where they’re coming from,” said Jonathan Edwards with Edwards Grading Service. “I just want them to know we’re not doing something that doesn’t happen naturally.”

Resident Terry Shealy took photos in the fall of a contractor dumping trees into Lake Wylie. Shealy said he wasn’t sure which contractor, but he saw a barge dropping trees into the main channel at least three times.

Duke Energy confirmed earlier this month there were incidents where permission wasn’t given to dump trees into the lake, and the company was “working with the parties involved to address the matter.” Duke didn’t, and hasn’t, named the contractor.

Since the Jan. 19 story ran in Lake Wylie Pilot, several readers called claiming Edwards Grading is the responsible party. Bill Clark, who works from his lakefront home, said he reported the company to Duke and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after witnessing three trees dropped from a barge.

“My office overlooks the lake,” Clark said. “My neighbor and I got the guy on video.”

Clark got in his boat and confronted Edwards. Something Edwards, who doesn’t deny sinking trees into the lake at times, said happens from time to time with residents.

“We’re not the bad guys on the lake,” Edwards said. “We don’t dump debris in the river. We’re not doing illegal, dangerous dumping in the river.”

Edwards said he is aware of extensive, varying rules from all three counties surrounding Lake Wylie. His company, he said, hasn’t violated any of them.

“I’ve been at this for three decades,” he said. “We’ve been involved with Riversweep since day one. We don’t do anything that’s not right for the river.”

Edwards provided an email from North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission concerning one of his jobs. The email also was sent to Duke representatives. The message states “existing large woody debris” on a work site should be removed while work is underway and replaced if possible.

“If this is not possible,” the email reads, “the large woody debris should be sunk in the lake using acceptable weights.”

Edwards said any tree he cuts down, which in certain circumstances is allowed even within lake buffers, he removes from the property. Trees that wash up on their own, he sinks. His company doesn’t dump trees and let them float, potentially causing danger for boaters.

“We don’t sink it in 10-foot water,” Edwards said. “We take it out where it’s 30, 40, 50 feet deep.”

It isn’t practical to remove washed up debris, build an expensive seawall for a client and then place the debris back on the seawall, Edwards said. The homeowner then would have to pay thousands of dollars for someone to remove it, cut it up and haul it to a landfill.

“The reason it’s not possible is, my homeowner doesn’t want it,” Edwards said. “This is an expense they have nothing to do with.”

Trees naturally entering the lake are a daily occurrence, Edwards said. His company doesn’t remove any by freeing them up to float down the river, he said.

“I won’t do that,” Edwards said. “I’m not going to do that.”

Along with presenting a hazard for boaters, floating trees can create problems for homeowners. Certain areas of the shoreline collect more trash and debris than others, particularly with heavy rains. Residents off Carroll Cove Road have seen debris issues for years.

Tom Watson, who lives on River Oaks Road, said his home is another example.

“My waterfront catches huge amounts of debris, which flows downstream, but does not make the turn at our neighborhood,” he said.

Along with “all manner of trash,” recent high waters left two large hardwood trees up to 90-feet long. Watson said there is temptation to tow them out and let them float away.

“That would present a very bad hazard for boats and just move the misery away from me,” he said.

One floated away on its own. The other will have to be removed.

A Duke spokesperson didn’t say what contractor the company is working with, but said potential penalties for infractions include the loss of permits or even previously approved structures on the lake. Clark provided a November email from another Duke employee stating Edwards Grading had been removed from a list of contractors the company offers.

“We work with many contractors in the area,” said Jennifer Jabon, Duke spokesperson. “Duke Energy has a knowledgeable contractor list as a resource for local residents planning to have work performed on lakes we manage.”

That list has more than two dozen companies, but Edwards Grading isn’t on it. Jabon didn’t specify why.

“We regularly review and update the list,” she said. “New contractors may be added and others removed based on any situation where there was a failure to comply with our shoreline management guidelines.”

Sara Corbett, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, confirmed her group is looking into the fall incident. She didn’t say which contractor was involved or what specific violations are being investigated.

“The Corps is aware of it and is currently investigating it,” Corbett said. “It’s an active federal case.”

Corbett said the group “just started investigating.” She had no information on potential penalties.

“We won’t know until the investigation is done,” she said.

Edwards said he spoke with someone from the Corps “weeks ago” and explained what happened, and hasn’t heard from the group since.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Trees in Lake Wylie: Fair or foul?."