Polk County could be looking at a multi-year process to get Lake Adger reclassified as a watershed III for use as a water source.
Polk Countys Engineer Dave Odom reported to commissioners during a meeting on Monday that the state requested an environmental assessment, which he submitted. He said the process of getting the state of North Carolina to reclassify Lake Adger as a watershed III could take a few years because Polk did not receive support from Henderson County.
Odom reported that the environmental assessment with the state could take about a year of negotiations to complete.
Polk County Manager Ryan Whitson also reported that hed receive word back from Rep. David Guice and two other state legislators that they will support Polk County in any bills that could be presented by Henderson County to stop Polk from receiving the watershed III reclassification.
Polk County is attempting to get permits from the state, including the requirement of reclassifying the Lake Adger watershed, which will affect much of Henderson County.
Although Henderson Countys current land restriction are currently at least as strict as those required by the proposed watershed III, the Henderson County Board of Commissioners voted not to approve a resolution of support for Polk County. They also said theyd approach state legislators and attempt to get a bill passed to keep Polk County from moving forward with the reclassification.
The state is recommending that Polk reclassify the watershed as a class III and wanted Henderson County to support the reclassification. Polk Countys original request to the state was for a watershed IV, which would have affected only land within Polk County.
The county will have to get the reclassification prior to receiving a permit to draw water out of Lake Adger. The county recently purchased the lake for $1.6 million with plans to use it as a water source.