3.7	Lake Wylie

Lake Wylie, the third largest reservoir in the Catawba-Wateree system, is located southwest of Charlotte in Gaston and Mecklenburg Counties, North Carolina and York County, South Carolina. Lake Wylie has a surface area of about 12,149 acres and 327.5 shoreline miles at full pond elevation of 569.4 feet MSL.

3.7.1

Lake Wylie Shoreline Classification

Table 3.7-1 summarizes the shoreline classification for Lake Wylie, based on the July 2001 SMP maps.

Table 3.7-1.

Shoreline Classification for Lake Wylie

Shoreline Classification	Shoreline Miles	Percent of Total
Commercial /Non-Residential	6.2	1.9%
Commercial /Residential	1.7	0.5%
Residential	136.9	41.8%
Business Industrial	3.3	1.0%
Public Recreation	3.8	1.2%
Public Infrastructure	15.1	4.6%
Project Operations	1.8	0.5%
Future Commercial/Non-Residential	10.2	3.1%
Future Commercial/Residential	22.1	6.7%
Future Residential	16.3	5.0%
Future Public Recreation	9.9	3.0%
Impact Minimization Zones	10.0	3.1%
Impact Minimization Zones (Dev)	0.1	0.0%
Environmental Area	67.3	20.5%
Natural Area	22.8	7.0%
Total	327.5	100.0%

 

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3.7.2

Lake Wylie Shallow Water Fish Habitat Survey

Table 3.7-2 summarizes the shoreline classification for Lake Wylie, based on
the results of the SWFHS.

Table 3.7-2.

Lake Wylie Shallow Water Habitat Shoreline Classifications (Miles)

Lake	Developed	Sand	Cobble	Woody Debris	Vegetated	Natural	Undeveloped No Critical Habitat	Total
Wylie	141.5	10.4	0.7	3.6	65.9	3	88.9	314

3.7.3

Lake Wylie Cultural Resources Assessment

Within the Lake Wylie Study Area, there are 61 previously recorded cultural resources including 10 architectural resources and 52 archaeological sites. The architectural resources include 5 single dwellings, an industrial building, an historic district, a mill, a cemetery, and a dam. The architectural resources range in date from the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries. The archeological sites span from the Early Archaic through the Historic time periods.

Many of the archaeological sites are of an unknown cultural affiliation and only non-diagnostic lithic artifacts were recovered at the sites. Many of the Woodland period sites contain ceramic and/or lithic artifacts. In addition, there are several protohistoric and historic Catawba sites within the study area. The historic archaeological sites include 3 farmsteads and the ruins of a home.

There are no archaeological sites listed in the National Register.

The McAdenville Historic District has been determined eligible for listing in the National Register. This resource contains residential, commercial, and religious structures associated with mill development.

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The information on both the archaeological and architectural sites from the state files is being used in preparation of the predictive model to assign the shoreline on Lake Wylie either a High, Medium, Low, or No probability for the occurrence of cultural resources. Prior to the completion of the model non-exempt activities such as excavation projects, commercial marina development, and certain conveyance projects will be provided to the appropriate SHPO for review before construction or excavation activity begins within the project boundary. To ensure the potential impact to cultural resources is properly evaluated after completion of the predictive model, Lake Management will review the predictive model for all non-exempt activities. Applicants for all non-exempt lake use permitting activities in medium and high probability areas will be required to consult with the appropriate SHPO regarding their proposal.

3.7.4

Lake Wylie Recreational Use and Carrying Capacity Assessment

Lake Wylie Existing Recreational Areas

There are 9 developed Duke Power-owned public recreational access locations, with 3 leased to agencies, on Lake Wylie. There are several developed county and city parks, including: McDowell Nature Preserve, owned and operated by Mecklenburg County; River Street Park, owned and operated by the City of Mount Holly; Wind Jammer Beach and Pitcarin Parks, owned by the City of Tega Cay; and the Stowe Botanical Garden. There are 3 undeveloped county parks owned by Mecklenburg County. Figure 3.7-1 shows the public recreational access locations. In addition, there are 11 commercial non-residential and no commercial residential marinas that provide additional public access to Lake Wylie.

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Click Here to View Full Figure 3.7-1 Lake Wylie Public Recreational Access Areas

The Copperhead Access Area is operated as part of McDowell County Nature Preserve that is owned by Mecklenburg County. Ebenezer Access Area is operated by York County as a county park. The City of Rock Hill has the Indian Ground Access Area leased for fishing use by special populations. A recent major addition to public recreation on Lake Wylie was the creation of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden on the South Fork arm of the lake. This facility consists of 450 acres of land that has the gardens being developed over a 20-year period.

Existing Duke Power-Owned Public Access Areas

The developed Duke Power-owned public access areas provide about 333 acres and 27,803 feet of shoreline frontage of public access at Lake Wylie. Combined, the developed access areas have 24 public boat ramps, 12 loading piers, 4 fishing piers and about 568 parking spaces for vehicles/trailers and 305 parking spaces for cars. Table 4.7-3 summarizes the facilities at the public access areas.

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In the 1994 SMP, Duke Power proposed to improve the Allen Fishing area (provide handicapped accessibility), Buster Boyd access area (replace the two 2-lane ramps with 6 new boat ramps and replace the pier with 3 new piers) and Nivens Creek access area (expand and pave the parking lot). In addition, Duke Power said it would add 36 acres to the South Point site (54 acres added), 98 acres to the Allison Creek access area (59 added), 25 acres to the Fort Mill site (40 acres added), and 8 acres to the Nivens Creek site (13 acres added). All of the recreation commitments from the 1994 SMP have been met except for two ramps and one pier at Buster Boyd (because there was insufficient parking) and the expansion and paving of Nivens Creek (because of building code problems).

The NCWRC has entered into a creative partnership with Duke Power for the maintenance and operation of the non-leased access areas. Under this agreement Duke Power pays the NCWRC to maintain the access areas and the NCWRC makes at least the same capital dollar amount available to Duke Power, and agency lessees for the non boat launching portion of the access areas, for improvements that will help the boating public. This agreement is a continuation of a long established partnership with the NCWRC with the added benefit of designated cost sharing capital dollars for access area improvements.

Table 3.7-3.

Lake Wylie Duke Power-Owned Public Access Areas

Access Area Name	Acreage	Shoreline Frontage (ft)	Boat Ramps	Loading Piers	Fishing Piers	Car Parking (Spaces)	V/T Parking (Spaces)
Allen Fishing Area	21.0	1,919	0	0	0	29	0
South Point	70.0	6,747	6	3	0	0	165
Copperhead	25.3	3,225	4	3	2	25	72
Buster Boyd	4.4	632	4	2	0	51	119
Allison Creek	113.0	8,653	4	2	1	15	90
Indian Ground	9.8	2,340	0	0	1	25	0
Nivens Creek	23.2	871	2	1	0	0	32
Ebenezer	20.8	1,374	3	1	0	160	70
Fort Mill	45.5	2,042	1	0	0	0	20
Total	333.0	27,803	24	12	4	305	568

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County, City, and Other Public Recreational Facilities

Table 3.7-4 summarizes the site acreage, shoreline footage and recreational facilities provided at the Mecklenburg County Parks. These facilities are located on Lake Wylie, and are owned and operated by Mecklenburg County.

The 3 city parks, River Street Park, Wind Jammer Beach Park and Pitcarin Cove Park, are located on Lake Wylie. Table 3.7-5 summarizes the key characteristics of these facilities.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a family oriented, educational facility comprised of prime rolling meadows, woodlands, and lakefront property. It began in 1989 when retired Belmont textile executive, Daniel Jonathan Stowe, set aside 450 acres for the development of a world class botanical garden.

In October 1999, the Garden proudly opened a new 110-acre facility that includes four themed gardens, a 13,500 square foot Visitor Pavilion, fountains, entrance ponds, expanded Gift and Garden Shop, and half-mile Woodland Trail. The new gardens are a part of a Master Plan designed by landscape architect Geoffrey Rausch that will evolve over several decades. The completed Botanical Garden will include a conservatory complex, rose pavilion, Asian and English gardens, natural wetland, children's garden, restaurant, outdoor amphitheater, and lakefront access.

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Approximately three miles of the Garden lies along the eastern shoreline of the Catawba Creek arm of Lake Wylie. The planned watercraft entrance will enable visitors to rent a slip where they can park their boat for a certain number of hours per day. This will be the water terminus of the garden's tram route. Visitors will be able to ride the length of site, or they may disembark from the tram at exit points in between.

When fully completed the Garden will represent an investment of $150-$200 million, employ over 300 people and entertain one million visitors a year, adding more than $36 million to the regional economy.

Table 3.7-4.

Summary of County Recreational Facilities

McDowell County Nature Preserve	Copperhead Island	Ebenezer Park
952 Acres	25 Acres	26 Acres
5500 Feet of shoreline	3225 Feet of shoreline	1374 Feet of shoreline
1 Amphitheater	4 Boat ramps	3 Boat ramps
80 Campsites	3 Floating loading piers	1 Floating loading pier with 4 slips
2 Concession areas	72 Paved trailer parking spaces	70 Paved trailer parking spaces
1 Gazebo	25 Paved vehicle parking spaces	160 Paved vehicle parking spaces
1 Information booth	1 Volleyball court	17 Picnic tables
1 Maintenance facility	1 Picnic shelter	5 Picnic shelters with 13 tables
1 Nature center	2 Restroom facilities	2 Restroom facilities
1 Office complex	2 Fishing piers (1 handicapped accessible)	1 Swimming area
1 Police boathouse	14 Tent campsites	1 Bathhouse with concessions/change room
1 Paddleboat rental area	6 Overlooks	1 Rangers residence
210 Paved parking spaces	5 Miles of trail	1 Maintenance facility
37 Picnic sites	1200 Feet of boardwalk for fishing	1 Entrance station
1 Playground	1 Entrance station
1 Ranger residence
14 Restroom units
1 Picnic shelter
6 Miles of nature trail

 

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Table 3.7-5.

Summary of City Public Recreational Facilities

River Street Park	Wind Jammer Beach Park	Pitcarin Cove Park
2 boardwalks	7 picnic tables	6 picnic tables
9 park benches	1 sandy beach	1 boat ramp
3 grills	1 picnic shelter	1 picnic shelter
Playground	2 restrooms	2 restrooms
Covered picnic area	1 playground	1 playground
Two picnic tables	Paved and gravel parking lot for 25 cars	Paved parking lot for 15 cars

Existing Commercial and Private Recreational Access

In addition to the Duke Power-owned public access areas and the county and city parks, the public can gain access to Lake Wylie through both commercial non-residential and commercial residential marinas. Private access to Lake Wylie is through private marinas and private piers along the Lake Wylie shoreline. Table 3.7-6 summarizes the number and type of public and private commercial non-residential and commercial residential marina facilities. Table 3.7-7 summarizes the estimated number of private piers.
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Table 3.7-6.

Summary of Lake Wylie Commercial Recreational Access Facilities

Type of Facility	Commercial Non-Residential	Commercial Residential
Public Marinas	11	0
Private Marinas	11	15
Wet Slips	1,026	573
Dry Slips	400	0

Table 3.7-7.

Summary of Lake Wylie Private Recreational Access Facilities

Type of Facility	No. Private Facilities
Piers	3,108

Lake Wylie Recreational Use Assessment

Visitation figures at the public access areas on Lake Wylie were derived based on estimates of the traffic entering the Duke Power-owned public access areas. Total estimated visitation during the 1999 study period for Lake Wylie at these sites was 839,531 visits. Figure 3.7-2 shows the distribution of the visitation for each month at Lake Wylie for the Duke Power-owned public access areas during the 1999 study period. A visit is considered a vehicle or vehicle/trailer entering the site for any part of a day.

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Figure 3.7-2.

Lake Wylie Estimate of Recreational Visitation at the Duke Duke Power-Owned Access Areas

.

Table 3.7-8 provides a summary of the estimated recreational visitation based on the traffic counter data for the sampled sites during the 1999 study period. Of the Lake Wylie Duke Power-owned access areas, Ebenezer, Buster Boyd, and South Point were estimated to have the greatest amount of use at 32 percent, 23 percent, and 22 percent, respectively, of the total estimated use at the Lake Wylie Duke Power-owned access areas.

Based on survey data input, the estimated ratio for annual visits to the project area for Survey B respondents (respondents that use both public and private access areas) compared to Survey C respondents (respondents at the public access areas) was a ratio of 1.3 to 1. The estimated overall recreational visitation for Lake Wylie for the 1999 study period totaled 1,076,300 visits.

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Lake Wylie Boat Carrying Capacity Assessment

The overall boat carrying capacity is assessed based on the peak boating use estimates obtained during the flyovers in the 1999 study period. The available boating acreage was adjusted from the base boats per acreage estimate (see Table 3.7-9) by the following factors (Warren and Rea, 1989, as modified):

Factor		Adjustment
1.	Location of the lake in relation to population served	0
2.	Multiple use of water area	-
3.	Shoreline configuration	-
4.	Amount of open water	0
5.	Amount of facility and shoreline development	0
6.	Crowding rating	-
	Total	-3

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Table 3.7-8.

1999 Lake Wylie Estimated Recreational Visitation at Duke Power-Owned Access Areas

Table 3.7-9.

Boat Type Acreage Adjustment (Source:  Modified from Warren and Rea, 1989)

Boat Activity Type	Low	-4	-3	-2	-1	Base	1	2	3	4	High
Fishing	10.0	9.0	8.0	6.0	5.0	4.3	4.0	3.3	3.0	2.3	2.0
Canoe/Kayak	2.5	2.3	2.0	1.8	1.5	1.3	1.1	1.0	0.8	0.7	0.5
Motor Boating	18.0	17.0	15.0	13.0	11.0	9.0	8.0	7.0	6.0	5.0	3.0
Sailing	10.0	9.0	8.0	6.0	5.0	4.3	4.0	3.3	3.0	2.3	2.0
Jet Skiing	10.0	9.0	8.0	6.0	5.0	4.3	4.0	3.3	3.0	2.3	2.0
Water Skiing	20.0	18.0	17.0	15.0	14.0	12.0	11.0	10.0	9.0	8.0	7.0

Table 3.7-10 summarizes the assessment of the optimum overall boat capacity based on the usable water surface acreage and the boating activity m