page_title: Lake Norman
section_title: Environmental Management of the Lake
hierarchical_section_title: Lake Norman / Natural history / Environmental Management of the Lake
caption_attribution_description: English: Coontail
context_page_description: Lake Norman, created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy, is the largest man-made body of fresh water in North Carolina.
context_section_description: Lake Norman and the surrounding shoreline serves as a habitat for a diverse array of plants and wildlife, as well as place for a myriad of human activities. Maintaining this habitat to simultaneously preserve endangered species, keep invasive species at bay, and maintain health and safety standards for the people that live, work, and recreate on the lake is an arduous undertaking. The management of the lake is complicated by the presence of multiple stakeholders in the lake's management, often with conflicting interests and priorities.  Duke energy, which owns all the land underneath Lake Norman, as well as the land up to 232 m  above the lake, is in charge of management of the lake itself as well as any property, such as lake walls, docks, and beaches, that enter into this zone.  The land that falls under the jurisdiction of Duke Energy, is subject to the ordinances of the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee, while the land surrounding the lake, both publicly and privately owned, is subject to the ordinances of the State of North Carolina and the county in which the land falls (Catawba County, Iredell County, Lincoln County, or Mecklenburg County).  Additionally, the Lake Norman Marine Commission and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, as well as many NGOs and environmental organizations, play roles in the regulation and management of the lake.  Environmental duties are divided between these different stakeholders, but some fall under split jurisdiction. Water quality, for example, is monitored and managed by both Duke Energy and the State of North Carolina.  Other partnerships are voluntary; Duke Energy, for example, partners with many wildlife organizations to minimize the impact of human activities on the environment.
  The management of the invasive plant Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) has been a particularly challenging undertaking for these stakeholders.  Hydrilla, native to India, was introduced to the United States in the 1950s, and was first seen in Lake Norman in 2001. Hydrilla was likely transported to Lake Norman on the beds and motor blades of boats transported from infected lakes.  Hydrilla crowds out native species, impedes irrigation, and clogs boat motors.  When Hydrilla first takes hold, there is an initial upsurge in fish populations as bait fish, which form a vital link in the food chain, flourish in Hydrilla, but as the infestation grows too thick, it chokes out other plants and fish, who get caught in the weeds, and cannot swim.  Hydrilla also has a harmful impact on bird populations. Hydrilla contains a harmful bacterium that acts as a neurotoxin for some birds. In Lake Norman, these bacteria cause sickness in coot, who eat the Hydrilla, as well as in eagles, who eat coot.  The Lake Norman Marine Commission seeks to keep the Hydrilla population in Lake Norman at bay by introducing grass carp that feed on the aquatic plants.
  Other environmental management projects on Lake Norman focus their efforts on helping endangered species. Notably, the Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists (LNWC), with donations from Duke Energy's Habitat Enhancement Program, began a program in 2014 to promote nesting sites and preserve habitat for Great Blue Herons and Osprey.  Since then, LNWC and Duke Energy have put up five nesting platforms throughout the lake each year. Additionally, Duke Energy has protected Heron Island, an island in Lake Norman, as well as several other islands throughout the lake as a place for Great Blue Heron to raise their young.
caption: Hydrilla verticillata
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