Falls Lake Ramps Drive By

3950 Views 27 Replies 9 Participants Last post by rangergreg281, Jan 2, 2008

Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · Dec 27, 2007

I took advantage of the lousy, cold, wet day yesterday to drive around the upper end of Falls Lake and snapped a few pics of the ramps. I'll post sub-reports here as comments with the pictures of each spot we stopped at.

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1 - 20 of 28 Posts

Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · #2 · Dec 27, 2007

4

First Stop: Rollingview Ramp area

We'd heard from RangerGreg that they had closed the ramps and had started construction on new docks. Sure enough... Here are the pics of the ramps and from the beach looking out into the big area of the lake. Lots of exposed ground out there.

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Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 27, 2007

3

Second Stop: The park area at Rollingview

Drove around the corner to the park and pier area and got some pics of that side:

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Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 27, 2007

6

Third Stop: Eno River Launch

WOW. I haven't been up there since last winter, so I really hadn't seen any of the effects of the drought. The pics may actually make it look a little worse than it is - there's still about 15 feet of creek width at the base of the "ramp". I think you could launch a canoe/kayak, but it would be some work getting it down to the water. Not sure how far you could go in either direction.

The good news is that a few of the feeder creeks we passed on the way out there were high and muddy from the morning rain. It wasn't showing up at this point in the river, but I hadn't been there recently to see how bad it was before this rain.

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Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 27, 2007

2

Next Stop: Ledge Rock

So much for launching on this half of the lake.

On the way we drove across on 85 - it looks like Kansas out there with waves of wheat...

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Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · #6 · Dec 27, 2007

Next Stop: Beaver Dam/Old Weaver

No pics. It looked the same or even better than the last time I was there. No problem doing a carry-in.

Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · #7 · Dec 27, 2007

Last Stop: Upper Barton

No pics. They have closed 3 of the 4 ramps at UB. Only one of the middle lanes remains open.

WF_United

· #8 · Dec 27, 2007

I noticed the 2 ramps closed at Six Forks, Was going to check Beaver Dam tomorrow.

Fausto Turro

smithhut

· #9 · Dec 27, 2007

Jeff is the falls where that boat had run a ground and was left there?And has anything ever been done with it? I think you and lefty took some pics once.

Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · #10 · Dec 27, 2007

smithhut said:
Jeff is the falls where that boat had run a ground and was left there?And has anything ever been done with it? I think you and lefty took some pics once.

Yep - Its still there. You can see it pretty well from the Hwy 98 bridge as you cross the main lake by car. Just look past the Island...

Any insurance guys know what happens in a case like that?

Reactions: 1

rangergreg281

· #11 · Dec 28, 2007

Jeffonc said:
First Stop: Rollingview Ramp area

We'd heard from RangerGreg that they had closed the ramps and had started construction on new docks. Sure enough... Here are the pics of the ramps and from the beach looking out into the big area of the lake. Lots of exposed ground out there.

Wow! That looks exactly as it did when I placed the barrels and flagging tape up before I went on paternity leave. Glad to see the State is using their lightning fast resources to get those docks built. Must be the Christmas season...all the higherups that have to approve the project are on vacation. I just hope that they'll be in by my retirement...in 2026.

rangergreg281

· #12 · Dec 28, 2007

Jeffonc said:
Next Stop: Beaver Dam/Old Weaver

No pics. It looked the same or even better than the last time I was there. No problem doing a carry-in.

There won't be any change at Beaverdam unless the park staff are ordered by the City of Raleigh to open the flood gates and dump it into Falls Lake. Beaverdam is an emergency backup reservoir to Falls Lake, so once the Beaverdam lowers to the top of the spillway gate, it won't go any lower, with the exception of evaporation.

And now you know...the rest of the story.

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rangergreg281

· #13 · Dec 28, 2007

smithhut said:
Jeff is the falls where that boat had run a ground and was left there?And has anything ever been done with it? I think you and lefty took some pics once.

If I'm not mistaken, that boat can be seen from the Hwy 98 bridge between Stony Hill Rd. and New Light/Six Forks Rd. It is still sitting high and dry.

Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · #14 · Dec 28, 2007

rangergreg281 said:
There won't be any change at Beaverdam unless the park staff are ordered by the City of Raleigh to open the flood gates and dump it into Falls Lake...

And now you know...the rest of the story.

I didn't think the spillway was operable.

Anybody been to the Hwy 50 ramps in the last week or so? Anything open over there?

rangergreg281

· #15 · Dec 28, 2007

Jeffonc said:
I didn't think the spillway was operable.

Anybody been to the Hwy 50 ramps in the last week or so? Anything open over there?

It was repaired last year after Raleigh threatened to sue DPR after the drought of 2005. Raleigh owns all the water in the lake, and if they can't access the water, it does them no good. I wasn't privy to all the info. This is just what I had heard second hand, so take it for what it's worth.

I can't tell you about hwy 50. Been on Papa leave.

Jeffonc

Discussion Starter · #16 · Dec 28, 2007

Not disagreeing at all, Greg, just wondering... I was trying to picture what the Beaverdam spillway actually looks like. Its been a couple years since I've been down there and of course, I was never trying to figure out how it worked. I do remember a long shallow man-made slope under the bridge, but don't recall if there were panels on either side that might be raised to allow water to pass by the fixed portion (if there is a fixed portion).

Good grief - I'm going to be awake tonight wondering "How DOES it work?"

sundrop

· #17 · Dec 28, 2007

Awful doesnt begin to cover it! I can't imagine the impact this will have on the spring spawn if water levels don't come up dramatically!!

rangergreg281

· #18 · Dec 28, 2007

Jeffonc said:
Not disagreeing at all, Greg, just wondering... I was trying to picture what the Beaverdam spillway actually looks like. Its been a couple years since I've been down there and of course, I was never trying to figure out how it worked. I do remember a long shallow man-made slope under the bridge, but don't recall if there were panels on either side that might be raised to allow water to pass by the fixed portion (if there is a fixed portion).

Good grief - I'm going to be awake tonight wondering "How DOES it work?"

Not to worry...didn't think you were. As for how it works, I'm not 100% sure. I know that there is a component that an electric drill is attached to (I think the wheel or valve thingy might have broken off at some point) and that will open a gate. The gate is located there underneath the walkway where the chain link fence is. Not sure if the gate opens in 2 halves, or if it is lifted and water flows out from underneath it.

I do know that the last time Beaverdam was emptied, it royally ticked off the fishermen because it killed off all the fish. I believe that there is now a plan in place that, if the water is needed, the lake will be lowered 1 foot each day to give the fish time to move to the lower depths and out of the shallow pools.

Drop, I have heard that as the water level goes down, the fish populations are more dense, and therefore when the breeding season is in, the sperm will have a better shot at fertilizing more eggs. The locals I have talked to have told me that the fishing has been a little better since the 2005 drought.

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sundrop

· #19 · Dec 28, 2007

Greg theoretically that makes sense... Let's hope for the best! I wish the state would invest in some serious stocking programs for Falls.

rangergreg281

· #20 · Dec 28, 2007

sundrop said:
Greg theoretically that makes sense... Let's hope for the best! I wish the state would invest in some serious stocking programs for Falls.

That would be nice wouldn't it.

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