Lake James levels to remain high until next year due to dam damage from Hurricane Helene

Duke Energy says Lake James lake levels will remain at full pond until next year.

The company said Lake James is expected to continue to spill over until a generating unit is returned to service, which is expected to happen March 31.

Lake James Environmental Association is warning that until that happens, there is a risk to lakeshore homeowners and their docks if there is another major rain.

Duke Energy said its Bridgewater hydro station on North Powerhouse Road was flooded and the generating units were damaged during Hurricane Helene. A hydro station is where electric power is created using the flow of water and is the primary means of moving water through the system, according to Duke Energy.

"When a unit does return to service, the lake level drawdown below the full pond elevation (100 feet) will be slow and is dependent on weather and inflow conditions," the company said.

The target level this time of year is around 96 feet, according to company data.

The company is warning that high water conditions can create hazards.

"Lake users should use caution and are encouraged to only use the lake if necessary, until conditions return to normal," the company said.

A report dated Oct. 27 from Bradley Keaton, chief dam safety engineer for Duke Energy, said damage to Bridgewater powerhouse happened when rain exceeded 20 inches in areas within western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina.

While inspections during and after Helene showed no damage to dams or spillways, four powerhouses, including Bridgewater, were inundated with water, according to the report. And it caused equipment damage at the four stations, it said.

Lake James, at its maximum level during the storm, measured 110.7 feet and Bridgewater Powerhouse saw 9.83 inches of rain, according to the report. Rhodhiss Dam received 6.15 total rain measured at the station and got to 109.6 feet, the report says.

Damage at Bridgewater powerhouse (or hydro station) during Helene was extensive.

The basement and turbine floors were completely submerged and a small minimum flow unit, with the turbine and generator, was completely submerged and will take longer to restore than two other units at the powerhouse, according to the report.

A generating unit, which includes a turbine, uses water falling from an elevated reservoir to generate electricity, according to Duke Energy.

The report says that minimum flow unit likely won't be repaired and returned to service until Dec. 31, 2025.

Other restoration at the station includes repairing or replacing cables and other systems, replacing a transformer, reworking or replacing a hydraulic brake system and controls equipment, the report said.

The report said until at least one turbine is returned to service, Lake James level is expected to stay at or above full pond elevation and recreation flow releases normally scheduled to resume in the spring will not be made.

One turbine is expected to return to service by March 31, with a second expected to return to service by June 30, the report said.

Lake James Environmental Association said in an Oct. 25 Facebook post that it has been monitoring water quality at the lake for E. coli, and all samples came back well within safe standards for primary contact such as swimming and wading. However, the organization urged caution when out on the water and to avoid swimming in water that looks brown or discolored. It also urged caution to boaters on the water due to debris from the storm.

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