By Doug Ford
The high-tech and fast-growing Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area may be looking to Kerr Lake to satisfy its future water needs.
According to information released by the Roanoke River Basin Association, representatives of the cities of Raleigh, Durham, Cary and of Granville County met on June 26 at the offices of Triangle J. Council of Governments in Raleigh to discuss options for the long-term water needs of the Triangle metropolitan area.
Among the long-term options considered was using Kerr Lake to satisfy those needs.
Further information released by the association states that according to Pat Davis, water project director for Triangle J COG, no action was taken at the meeting.
Other sources have indicated that another meeting on the subject will take place in late July.
Raleigh's city council had already approved a long-range water supply study for Kerr Lake during its strategic planning retreat in February.
That study is due to take place this year.
A long-range water supply plan for Cary is even more detailed.
The plan was discussed in detail at the Cary Town Council meeting on May 11. It identified and evaluated 17 water supply options, only some of which were long-term.
The Kerr Lake option was identified as one of the "least costly alternatives" for Cary, under a scenario where Cary enters into a joint venture with Raleigh and Durham for a 50 million-gallon-per-day Kerr Lake raw water intake and water treatment plant.
By comparison, the Lake Gaston-Virginia Beach pipeline, in operation for approximately two years, has a 60-million-gallon-per-day capacity.
According to the Cary plan, the timeline relative to the Kerr Lake alternative would call for a preliminary study of its feasibility this year, followed by a petition to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2003, if the Kerr Lake option were selected.
The timeline calls for actual construction of the pipeline to begin anytime from 2017 to 2021.
The Town of Cary currently gets most of its water from a Jordan Lake intake structure and its water treatment facility is jointly owned by the towns of Apex and Cary.
Other options under consideration by Cary include increasing the Lake Jordan allocation or available water supply pool; or using Harris Lake or increasing its available water supply pool.
The other options include the construction of a new Middle Creek reservoir in southwest Wake County, and cooperating with the City of Durham to expand Lake Michie reservoir.The June 26 meeting was reportedly organized by CH2M Hill of Raleigh, which one source described as the "technical eyes and ears" for the City of Durham.
Cary hired CH2M Hill in July 1999 to prepare its Long-Range Water Supply Plan.
This activity has not escaped the notice of the Roanoke River Basin Association, which fought the Lake Gaston-Virginia Beach pipeline for many years.
Tom Brawner, executive director of the 55-year-old association created to promote the development, use, preservation and enhancement of Roanoke River Basin resources, had already alluded to this issue in his Summer 2000 newsletter issued last month.
"As clean water sources diminish, out-of-basin interests increasingly covet Roanoke River water," Brawner said in his newsletter.
"At least for now, Virginia Beach is permitted to pump up to 60 million gallons per day from the Roanoke River at Lake Gaston.
"Other out-of-basin-interests, particularly those that haven't protected their own existing water supplies, may well follow Virginia Beach's lead and turn to the Roanoke to satisfy their water needs."
According to Brawner, the crippling droughts of the past two years have placed enormous stress on the basin's limited water resources, and even now, in parts of the upper basin, the drought lingers.
Brawner continued in his newsletter that, "The discovery of (PCBs) in the basin's Staunton River and Dan River - along with the (BDEs) recently found in the Dan and Hyco rivers - highlights the need to safeguard the quality of water in the Roanoke River Basin."
When reached yesterday, Brawner reiterated his organization's commitment to opposing any effort by out-of-basin interests in taking water from the Roanoke River Basin.
"We're concerned about it and are trying to stay on top of the situation," Brawner said.
"The basin system doesn't have the water to give away. We don't have enough water to meet the needs in this basin, much less enough to be giving away water to an urban area in another basin.
"We would support the transfer effort to satisfy their (the Triangle's) water needs from the Neuse River Basin, but will oppose any effort to take it from the Roanoke River Basin."
It's no secret that the RRBA is still recovering from the long and expensive legal fight with Virginia Beach, but Brawner makes it clear that the organization is ready and able to wage another battle to protect its water resources..."if it comes to that."
In a letter to the editor of The Gazette-Virginian, published in today's edition, Brawner makes clear the reasons for his opposition.
"Inter-basin transfer - which would occur if the Triangle taps Kerr Lake - is unfair and it's wrong. In addition to working against nature and depleting one basin for the benefit of another, a policy allowing inter-basin transfer serves as a disincentive for growing urban areas to safeguard the water closest to them. It puts those who protect and conserve their own water resources - such as those in the Roanoke Basin - at the greatest risk, for they have the most coveted water.
"In the victimized basin, local governments face intolerable planning uncertainties. Industry increasingly turns away, because the water just isn't there.
"Do we really want to promote a policy that gives our best water to those municipalities whose growth is most reckless and uncontrolled?"
According to Brawner, "Our organization (RRBA) has a mission, and that mission is to protect its water resources and oppose any and all inter-basin transfer.
"By opposing in principle inter-basin transfer, the RRBA can insist that those North Carolina communities seek water from within their river basin, which would be the Neuse River."

Local residents turned out in record numbers for the monthly community bloodmobile visit yesterday at the First Baptist Church in South Boston.
Nancy Larsen, donor recruitment representative for the Red Cross, said that the large turnout came at a critical time for her organization.
"I've never seen a period like this where the supply of blood has been so limited. People haven't come out to donate blood lately - collections are down all over the country."
According to Larsen, blood supplies have been at dangerously low levels for the past several weeks.
"I've been doing this for 10 years and have never seen it so bad," Larsen added.
Larsen, fellow Red Cross worker Clara Morgan and volunteer Margaret Cranford all noticed the enthusiastic response for this particular blood drive.
"We've had over 100 people turn out over a period of three hours. This is as busy as I've seen it in the four years I've been volunteering," Cranford said.
Larsen's duties include going into communities and setting up bloodmobile visits, which may be sponsored by an industry, local schools, the community or civic groups.
The community bloodmobile visit for this month was sponsored by the J.M. Huber Corporation, which donated a gas grill as a door prize.
Drinks and hot dogs as well as T-shirts were also given to the donors, some of whom waited for up to an hour to give blood.
According to Larsen, it was an effort to make the drive more relaxed, similar to an outdoor picnic, and reminiscent of the approaching holiday.
"From what I'm hearing, they don't mind the wait at all. They're happy to hear of the large turnout," said Larsen.

A 25-year-old Sutherlin man was arrested Sunday by sheriff's deputies on assault-and-battery charges.
Michael "Mike" Wayne Farthing, of Brooklyn Road, was charged with the assault and battery of Teri Boaze Farthing and Bubba Farthing.
Michael Farthing was also charged with brandishing a weapon.
The accused has a previous conviction of assault and battery against a family member.

In other police reports:

A charge of driving under the influence was the result of a one-vehicle crash early Saturday morning at the intersection of Route 501 and Dudley Road (Route 615).
Tracy Wayne Brightwell, 25, of Brookneal, was injured after the 1989 Ford she was driving ran off of the right shoulder of the road and struck a tree, said Trooper S.M. Krantz.
Brightwell was treated and released from the Halifax Regional Hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson.
An estimated $1,000 in damages to the vehicle resulted from the 2:15 a.m. crash.
· Donald A. Moshier, 19, of Leesburg, was charged with reckless driving Saturday afternoon after a one-vehicle crash that occurred on Route 501, five-tenths of a mile north of Murray Grove Road (Route 610).
Trooper S.L. Noblin said two passengers were injured, one a 19-month-old child, when the 1996 Ford van, driven by Moshier, ran off of the right side of the road and overturned.
Natina Lynn Brown, 13, was injured and was listed in stable condition Monday afternoon at the Halifax Regional Hospital, and 19-month-old Jordon Allen Moshier was treated and released, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The trooper estimated $3,000 in damages as the result of the 3:35 p.m. crash.
· A 21-year-old Nathalie man was charged with reckless driving early Sunday morning after a crash on Hog Wallow Road (Route 632), six-tenths of a mile north of Clarkton Road (Route 626).
Robert Bryant Davis was driving a 1994 Mitsubishi that ran off of the right side of the road and overturned, according to Trooper L.G. Perkins.
An estimated $5,500 in damages to the vehicle resulted from the 4:45 a.m. crash.
· A two-car accident occurred Friday afternoon on Route 360, 45 feet east of Ball Park Loop, (Route 653), which resulted in two injuries.
Trooper D.T. Conner said Virginia Ruth Ross, 53, of Java, the driver of a 1986 Buick, and Eric Lee Ross, an 18-year-old passenger, were injured after a 1994 Ford pickup, driven by Vickie Lynn Spencer, 40, of Vernon Hill, pulled from a private driveway into the path of Ross's vehicle.
The Ross vehicle then struck the Spencer vehicle.
Virginia Ross and Eric Ross were treated and released at the Halifax Regional Hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The trooper estimated $3,000 in damages to the Spenser vehicle and $1,500 to the Ross vehicle.
Spenser was charged with failing to yield the right of way as a result of the 5:30 p.m. crash.
· Another two-car accident occurred Thursday morning on Route 501, one-tenth of a mile south of Route 58, which resulted in an injury.
Trooper R.T. Ridgeway said Delores Logan Simmons, 52, of South Boston, was injured after a 2000 Cadillac, driven by Gilbert Earl Patterson, 35, of Durham, N.C., pulled into the path of the 1993 Ford Simmons was driving.
Simmons was treated and released from the Halifax Regional Hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson.
The trooper estimated $7,500 in damages to the Patterson vehicle and $3,500 to Simmon's vehicle.
Patterson was charged with failing to yield the right of way as a result of the 11:45 a.m. crash.
· Jamie Dale Crews, 24, of Brookneal, was injured Thursday evening after swerving a 1992 Ford pickup to avoid a deer and overturning on Cousin Lane (Route 864), one and a half miles north of Cody Road (Route 603).
Trooper S.L. Noblin said the 9:30 p.m. crash resulted in $2,000 in estimated damages.
Crews was treated and released from the Halifax Regional Hospital, according to a hospital spokesperson.
No charges were filed.

By Doug Loftis
"Looks like we're going down!"
So is general aviation in a fatal tailspin or is this just another rough season for flight?
Miles "Chic" Clayton won't predict the future but he freely offers a dismal opinion of current flying conditions from his perspective at Tuck Airport. The 50-year general aviation veteran has been in charge of operations here since 1978.
Halifax County owns the airport and all of the facilities and leases to Clayton's Skylark Aviation Co. the right to provide services. Those services include Federal Aviation Administration-certified aircraft repairs and inspections and,up until two years ago, fuel sales.
Aging underground fuel storage tanks were removed and replaced with a 10,000-gallon above-ground tank that is filled and still waiting for its first customer. Before that can happen, however, the tank and its pumping mechanism must be inspected and approved.
Clayton had hoped fuel sales would have resumed by July 4 but a faulty fuel pump changed all that and now, his best guess for resumed operation is next week.
"It's hurt a lot," not having fuel sales for the past two years and Clayton is beginning to wonder if he can recapture those many pilots who found South Boston a convenient stopping point especially when flying north-to-south routes. As convenient as its location is, Clayton figures his cookies and coffee might have accounted for an equal if not greater percentage of sales.
Gone also are many of the old guard of pilots and planes that were based at Tuck Airport. Clayton estimates that as many as 25 or more pilots have given up the hobby and sold their aircraft in just the past five years.
Why?
"Just too expensive!" Clayton replied as he pointed to an aging Piper aircraft tied down outside the main service hanger. One of three of the plane's owners was unable to continue flying and the loss of the one forced the other two to end their ownership as well.
How expensive is it to fly?
Just to rent a small, single-engine aircraft, you can expect to pay $40 per hour. Add to that another $20 per hour for fuel and you're up and flying.
If you're learning to fly, add to this the cost of an instructor. And don't forget your insurance which, for Clayton and Skylark Aviation, is about to ground his operation.
In fact, the annual cost of general liability insurance for Tuck Airport has risen to $5,000, almost $1,000 higher than for the same policy a year ago.
Some small private airstrips such as one in Randolph County, N.C., that is operated by Bob Johnson, recently closed down. Johnson said that his insurance provider notified him three months ago that it could no longer provide him with aviation insurance.
Near Greensboro, N.C., May Field, another small private air strip, closed to the public in January when its insurance expired.
Tuck Airport carries a $1 million general liability limit.
The local airport hasn't experienced an accident in well over 15 years and then, only minor damages resulted when an aircraft wing struck a hanger.
Clayton said that his insurance agent suggested that Skylark Aviation simply operate without insurance. But that won't fly either, since the county requires coverage from the airport lessee and Clayton would lose his FAA repair and inspection privileges without insurance.
Clayton and his wife Ruth employ two mechanics along with their daughter Linda C. Clark who manages the airport office and flies for hire. This week, she's flying making tobacco acreage verifications for the federal government.
Even with fuel sales restored, Clayton sees cloudy skies ahead now that the "jet age" has arrived. Tuck Airport has only 100-octane aviation fuel available and much of the airport's recent traffic is coming from jet aircraft.
Frequent flyers include South Boston's own NASCAR racing legends Ward and Jeff Burton, each of whom have Cessna Citation jets.
Ward Burton wants the county to lease enough land to him to build a storage hanger for his jet. That would entail an arrangement whereby the ownership of the hanger would eventually revert to the county that currently has a total of 16 other hangers, all full.
Incidentally, fuel will cost about $2.50 a gallon once it goes on sale next week. And you can use your credit card, pay at the pump, and be up and on your way, night or day.

Halifax County will be hosting the first-ever "Roanoke Summit" at Halifax County Senior High School on the evening of July 25. That gathering is expected to attract local, state and national government along with citizen group representatives who have an interest in the Roanoke River Basin.
That announcement came late yesterday by Roanoke River Basin Association Executive Director Tom Brawner who said that the summit was the idea of Virginia House Delegate W.W. "Ted" Bennett and North Carolina Representative Jim Crawford of Oxford.
Brawner said that one of the main purposes of this first summit will determine if both Virginia and North Carolina want a "unified entity to speak with one voice" on concerns over its water resources.
More details on the Roanoke Summit will follow in this newspaper as information becomes available.

South Boston Post 8's baseball team is firing on all cylinders like a fine-tuned engine.
And, its chalking up wins in big bunches.
The latest victim was Salem Post 3, a team which Post 8 dispatched 11-2 with little difficulty.
Sunday's win ran Post 8's win streak to 10 consecutive games, putting South Boston 10-0 overall and 5-0 in district play.
South Boston had a dozen hits in the game with Chet Clayton leading the way with four hits and one RBI.
Mike Priest followed with three safeties, two of which were doubles, and three RBIs.
Nick Thompson and Jason Jones had two hits each with Jones driving home four runs and Todd Meadows chipped in a hit and three RBIs.
Post 8 jumped on top quickly in the first inning, using four hits, two of them doubles, and a walk, to take a 3-0 lead.
Thompson started out with a one-out single but was nailed trying to steal second base.
Clayton singled and Priest came up with a double that scored Clayton to put Post 8 up 1-0.
Jones walked and Meadows came through with a two RBI double that elevated Post 8 to a 3-0 lead.
Post 8 added another pair of runs in the top of the third inning when Clayton and Priest led off with back-to-back hits. A hit by Jones, the team's third in a row, plated Clayton. Jones scored on Meadows' sacrifice fly to centerfield to give Post 8 a 5-0 lead.
South Boston upped its lead to seven runs in the top of the fourth inning when Jones delivered a two RBI single.
The scores were set up when Chris Parker and David Greene walked and Clayton came through with a hit to load the sacks.
Four walks from Jonathan Wallace and an error led to Salem Post 3 getting its first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.
But, even with that, South Boston still had a comfortable 7-1 lead.
A base hit, a wild pitch from Wallace and another Post 8 error led to Salem scoring again in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it a 7-2 game.
South Boston put the game out of reach with a four run rally in the top of the eighth inning that made the score 11-2.
Parker walked to start the inning but was erased from the base paths when Steve Chandler hit into a fielder's choice.
Chandler stole second base and went to third on a single by Thompson. Clayton followed with a hit to plate Chandler and make the score 8-2.
Priest walked to load the sacks and Jones came through with a three RBI double to give Post 8 its final nine- run cushion.
POST 8 AB R H RBI
Greene, rf 2 2 0 0
Chandler, rf 1 0 0 0
Thompson, cf 5 1 2 0
Clayton, lf 5 3 4 1
Priest, 3b 4 3 3 3
Jones, c 4 1 2 4
Meadows, 1b 4 0 1 3
Smith, 1b 0 0 0 0
Cole, ss 5 0 0 0
Hatmaker, ss 0 0 0 0
King, p 0 0 0 0
Wallace, p 5 0 0 0
Parker, 2b 2 1 0 0
Nelson, 2b 1 0 0 0
TOTAL 8 12 12 11

SALEM POST 3 AB R H RBI
Wilson, rf 1 0 0 0
Roberts, rf 2 0 0 0
Willet, dh 1 0 1 0
Vandegrift, cf 3 0 1 0
Fertitta, cf 3 0 0 0
Hypes 2 0 0 0
Hamilton, 3b 3 0 0 0
Cromer, 1b 3 0 0 0
Davis, c 2 0 0 0
Dalton, c 1 0 0 0
Scott, lf 2 0 0 0
Defibaugh, lf 2 0 0 0
Christianson, ss 2 0 0 0
Hoopes, ss 2 1 1 0
Eubank, 2b 3 1 0 0
TOTALS 32 2 3 0

Post 8 3 0 2 2 0 0 0 4 0--11
Salem Post 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0-- 2

William Frederick "Bill" Bonnett Jr., 81, of Winchester, died Saturday, July 1, 2000 in Winchester Medical Center.
Mr. Bonnett was born February 21, 1919 in South Boston, the son of William F. and Alleen Hill Bonnett. He was a WWII veteran and was a member of Christ Episcopal Church, Winchester Moose Lodge No. 1283, VFW Post 2123 and the Virginia Tech Hokie Club. He was married to Sue Matthews.
His survivors include his wife; a daughter: Laura Scott Bonnett of Richmond; son: William F. Bonnett III of Winchester; stepdaughter: Joyce Hamman of Winchester; two stepsons: Boyd Hamman of Winchester and Mathew Hamman of Richmond; sister: Kitty Hockman of Winchester and two grandchildren.
His first wife, Nancy Parson Bonnett, died in 1988.

A funeral will be held Wednesday, July 5 at 11 a.m. at Christ Episcopal Church with the Rev. Susan Buchanan officiating. A private burial will be held in Mount Hebron Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Blue Ridge Hospice, 333 W. Cork St., Winchester, VA 22601 or to Christ Episcopal Church, c/o Capital Campaign Fund, 134 W. Boscawen St., Winchester, VA 22601.

McReskar Clark "Mac" Lyons Sr., 62, of Walterboro, S.C., died July 3, 2000 at his residence.
Mr. Lyons was born December 21, 1937 in Bamberg County, the son of Otis E. and Reather Padgett Lyons. He was a member of Berea Advent Christian Church, the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge #1938 and the BPO Elks Lodge #1988.
His survivors include his wife: Polly Moore Lyons; five sons: McReskar Clark Lyons Jr. of Moncks Corner, Ronald Lee Lyons of Lake City, Curtis Vincent Lyons of Smoaks, Anthony Holt and Barry Holt of Walterboro; daughter: Deborah L. Adkins of Nathalie; four brothers: Gerald, Kirby and Gene Lyons of Smoaks and Lehman Lyons of Walterboro and nine grandchildren.
He was predeceased by a brother: Edrich Lyons.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Chapel of the Brice W. Herndon and Sons Funeral Home with Rev. Jeff Griffith officiating. Entombment will be in Glendale Memorial Mausoleum.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Colleton County Unit, P.O. Box 100902, Columbia, S.C. 29290.