TROUTMAN, N.C. — A large-scale cleanup effort will return to Lake Norman on Saturday. 

What You Need To Know

  • The North Carolina Wildlife Federation and its Lake Norman Conservationists are conducting a cleanup of storm debris on Lake Norman on Saturday

  • Previous cleanup efforts have gathered over 30 tons of debris, including a large dock

  • Debris can be a hazard for boaters and animals such as great blue herons

  • The cleanup begins at Long Island Marina in Catawba

The largest man-made lake in the state is one of the bodies of water inundated with large amounts of debris after Hurricane Helene. 

According to Duke Energy, Lake Norman reached full capacity after the storm pushed through North Carolina. 

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation and its Lake Norman Conservationists chapter are carrying out their third cleanup of the lake with the help of volunteers. 

“When we realized that Lake Norman was going to be inundated with debris, we were well-poised to jump into action and to remove the debris,” said federation board member and president of Lake Norman Conservationists Billy Wilson. 

Lancaster Custom Dock and Lift Systems are working alongside, doing the heavy lifting for half of the price. 

“We're using trackers mainly, to pick up the debris and the big logs,” the company's Mark Lancaster said. “I love giving back. I love the wildlife on the lake. And I do everything I can to participate, to give back to what gives to me. So it's an honor, it's a real honor."

Throughout the cleanups, the groups have collected over 30 tons of debris, including a large dock. 

“It was probably 30 by 30 feet wide, and it took their very heavy equipment to lift it up and to break it apart,” Wilson said. 

Wilson said the debris can become a hazard for boaters and for animals. 

“Anything that is floating in the main channel can certainly cause a hazard to boating safety. With regard to the wildlife: entanglement. The great blue herons can become entangled in the various objects, the plastic we are seeing washed up, they can potentially ingest the foam,” Wilson said. 

They saw some of their concerns during one of the cleanups. 

“This heron is trying to catch fish but at the same time it has to make its way around all the foam, all the Styrofoam around the lake,” Wilson said.

Lake Norman Conservationists secretary Dave Myers said there are some perks associated with helping. 

“Is it any better than being on a nice lake, sunny day, to clean up the environment?” Myers said. 

He’s been a weekender on Lake Norman for the past 58 years and said the amount of debris from Helene is unprecedented. 

“Hugo came through in 1989 and was pretty devastating, but it was a much smaller path of destruction,” Myers said. 

Wilson, who’s lived on Lake Norman for 15 years, agrees. 

“There have been instances in the past where we've had to deal with a large amount,” he said. “But in my time on the lake, we've never had to deal with anything like this.”

He said their effort is not over. 

“The impact we made is great, but the job is not over,” Wilson said. 

The clean up is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday starting at Long Island Marina in Catawba. 

While this is the last large cleanup the groups have planned, they say they’ll continue recruiting volunteers to do smaller efforts.