The Town of Lake Lure is welcoming back tourists, boaters and swimmers this weekend as officials announced it’s reopening one week earlier than anticipated, Lake Lure has been closed ever since Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina 20 months ago.
Helene dumped 15 inches of rain into Lake Lure, flooding it with sand, silt and debris that washed down the Rocky Broad River, according to the Citizen Times.
Under the Lake Lure Gazebo Friday, Gov. Josh Stein and town Mayor Carol Pritchett joined local, state and federal officials to mark the long-awaited reopening.
Stein called the lake a gem of western North Carolina.
“ So many fun movies have been filmed here: Dirty Dancing, Last of the Mohicans. The mountain views are astounding,” Stein said. “It's (Lake Lure) a tight-knit community and, of course, it's this jewel of a lake. Lake Lure is just one of the many places that make western North Carolina truly an unforgettable place on God's green earth.”
The facility is opening in phases. The Washburn Marina Ramp and the Pool Creek picnic ramp will reopen Saturday, while Lake Lure Beach will remain closed until Memorial Day when the town plans to hold a celebration.
The return to normal has been slow and steady for the town. In October 2024, officials lowered the lake by up to 20 feet so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could remove around 1.1 million tons of sediment and debris from the water.
READ MORE: Lake Lure to refill after Helene, businesses feel hopeful
To lower the levels of the lake, engineers had to maneuver the tainter gates — these are radial floodgates that allow dams and canal locks to control water flow. The floodgates are located 12 feet under the Lake Lure dam.
“ The most that we have ever been able to lower the lake since it was built in 1926 is 12 feet by using the tainter gates,” Pritchett told BPR in February.
Although the town is welcoming back the general public this weekend, Pritchett said there is still much work to be done to make the lake more resilient against future floods.
“ We do have additional work to complete the stationary marina docks and the fuel pump, so be sure you fill up before you bring your boat here,” Pritchett said.
