WINNSBORO, S.C. — Residents on Lake Wateree say a safety issue is now visible ever since Duke Energy lowered the water levels last year.
Those residents say they are working together to eliminate the tree stumps poking through the water.
"People that have been around like me know they are here, but a lot of people don't, said Rod Wilkes, a property owner in Winnsboro.
Wilkes lives in the Dutchman Creek area, where his cove has dozens of tree stumps poking through the water. He's working to get a permit to hire a company to cut them down.
"Right now, they are 3 feet, 2.5-3 feet below the surface at normal water levels. We proposed to bring 'em down another 4 feet so that puts them 7 feet below the surface at normal water levels," Wilkes said.
Wilkes has been working with Jim LoTruglio, the chairman of the Lake Wateree Association, to get approval from Duke Energy.
'It's definitely a safety concern when you see these stumps sticking out of the water, and you see how sharp they are," LoTruglio said.
They have created a Facebook group called "Lake Wateree Stumps," which now has over 900 members.
In a statement, Duke Energy said:
"Lake Wateree Association is working on a Lake Use Permit application to reduce the height of certain stumps that their organization has identified. The application process varies by request type – this request includes the need for the applicant to consult with various resource agencies including United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). It is the responsibility of Lake Wateree Association to handle the consultation with the four resource agencies and satisfactorily address all resource agency comments and/or concerns before submitting their application to Duke Energy. Once Duke Energy has received a completed application, we will provide a timely review. If the application is approved, Lake Wateree Association will receive a permit allowing them to hire a contractor to remove the stumps."
As for not disrupting fish habitats with this tree stump project, Wilkes said, "The stumps are good for that, we aren't going to take them away, that's why we're saying we're not going to take them all out. We just want them to be safe."
There is no timeline if or when this effort will be approved
The tree stumps are more visible now because Duke Energy lowered the water levels last year when it started construction on the dam, specifically to install a new spill gate.
We asked for an update, and the company said lake levels will be maintained higher than current levels this month, around 95 feet.
The full pond is 100 feet. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of March.