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Lake James Environmental Association
Fall 2020
Newsletter
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LJEA Sponsors Wetland Inventory and Research
LJEA is sponsoring an inventory and subsequent research into wetlands in the Lake James watershed. The study will be conducted by the Department of Natural Science at Montreat College and will kick off in January under the supervision of Professor Joshua Holbrook. There will be opportunities for LJEA volunteers to assist.
Wetlands in our area, including mountain “bogs” and “seeps,” are relatively rare but very important to sustaining wildlife and biodiversity and to maintaining good water quality in our streams and lakes. Despite their immense importance, they are often overlooked due to their small size in comparison to other freshwater systems. Wetlands are relatively rare in western North Carolina due to our topography, but they exist along the margins of lakes and rivers and in depression areas in our mountains and foothills. In western North Carolina, they may be inhabited by rare or endangered species (e.g. four-toed salamanders (Hemidactylum scutatum), bog turtles (Glyptemys muhlenbergii), Pitcher Plants (Saracenia sp.).
The first steps in the LJEA-Montreat College collaboration will be to inventory the wetland resources of the Lake James basin and describe their physical characteristics. We will start by using GIS and database resources and solicitation of stakeholder reports, as well as on-the-ground searches for wetlands. Also, LJEA members and volunteers will be asked to help identify potential wetlands on or near their homes and places of work. Once identified, the Montreat team will describe the dominant vegetation (E.g. herbaceous marsh, woody swamp), environmental variables (dissolved oxygen, pH, oxidation/reduction potential, water temperature), and physiographic variables (size, depth of organic substrate, wetland type such as floodplain, depressional, littoral, etc.) They also will compile these wetland locations and descriptions into a GIS-based map.
 
Benefits of the first phase of the study (the inventory) include providing an increased knowledge of the water resources of the Lake James basin and facilitating future studies of the biotic variables of these wetlands – inventory and study of amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and fish that inhabit these wetlands.
The effort will get underway in January and you will have the opportunity to learn more in our next newsletter. LJEA offers our sincere appreciation to Montreat College for joining the coalition of universities and colleges that are helping LJEA to fulfill its mission to protect and enhance the long-term environmental health and natural beauty of Lake James and its watershed.
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Erosion on the Joseph McDowell Greenway
Last year, a group of Lake James Environmental Association members paddled the Catawba River from Old Fort to Marion. One of the major observations of that trip was that some of the most severe erosion on the river above the lake is occurring around and beside the Joseph McDowell Greenway. Since the group’s trip down the river, several major storms have damaged the greenway significantly and accelerated this erosion.
Back in August, a few members of LJEA met with the McDowell Trails Association (MTA) and the City of Marion to talk about what can be done to protect the greenway and decrease the amount of sedimentation making its way into the river. Our Citizen Science Team provided drone photography and advice on the type of engineers to engage on the project. Since that July meeting, the MTA has selected an engineering firm to provide a master plan that will be a sustainable solution to the problem. All of this initial work has been funded by the MTA and the City of Marion.
 
Drone pictures of some of the erosion damage on the Joseph McDowell Greenway provided by LJEA
Sediment, produced by erosion, is the number one source of pollution in North Carolina waterways. Thirty years ago, the very western end of the lake where the Catawba and North Fork of the Catawba rivers flow into the lake was much more easily navigable than it is today. LJEA bottom mapping studies have shown a steady “filling in” of the lake in this area over the years due to sedimentation. Erosion and sedimentation occur naturally but are often accelerated by human activity and development. LJEA is very interested in what we can do to protect not only the lake but the entire Lake James watershed from the effects of erosion and sedimentation.
Lake James Environmental Association will continue to work with the McDowell Trails Association and the City of Marion on this very important project. The engineering study is the first step in finding a sustainable solution. It is anticipated that this effort will take a significant investment of time and money by the City, MTA, and volunteer organizations like LJEA to obtain the appropriate grants and complete the necessary work.
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Strategic Planning Update
This fall, the Strategy Committee has been hard at work on strategic planning. LJEA has updated our Mission, Vision, and Values (see below) and you can view our Organization Statement here. In addition, we have also completed a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. Our next step is to discuss the approximately 25 organizations in our watershed that we collaborate with. Once that is complete, we will begin to set goals for our operations and the various committees we have, or decide to add during the process. The last step is to decide what "work" needs to be done to accomplish those goals. For each project we decide to take on, we will set a priority, a timetable, and a person responsible for driving the project.
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Our Mission
To protect and enhance the long-term environmental health and natural beauty of Lake James and its watershed
Our Vision
To build a collaborative community that understands, appreciates, and protects Lake James and its watershed
Our Values
Preservation
We advocate for the preservation of the exceptional beauty and clean water of the Lake James Watershed.
Community Benefit
We believe that all people should be able to enjoy the healthy environment, clean water, and exceptional natural beauty of the Lake James watershed.
Science Driven
We will foster the development of citizen scientists and commit to decisions and actions grounded in science.
Education
We commit to educating and engaging people of all ages in order to inspire stewardship of the environment today and in the future.
Collaboration
We value collaboration with diverse communities, schools, governments, private enterprise, non-profits, and others.
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