Lake Coffey Drought Mitigation Project to Begin in 2025
The Town of Beech Mountain has secured funding for a Drought Mitigation Project, which will merge and deepen Lake Coffey and Lake Santis to serve as a backup source of water for the town. The Town and the Beech Mountain Resort have entered into a formal agreement regarding combining the two lakes and sharing water. This will stabilize the water supply for years to come. “We’ve been under Stage 1 or 2 Water Restrictions for most of the past three years,’ states Bob Pudney, Town Manager. ‘While our residents and businesses have done a great job of conserving water, we have long needed a permanent solution. The current reservoir, Buckeye Lake, can’t reliably provide the amount of water the town needs to function or to develop properly.” In November 2023, voters approved a bond referendum to help fund the project. This will only be used if needed. The bond was in addition to $14 million provided for the project by the NC Legislature, and an additional $14 million appropriated from FEMA. Together, these funding sources allow the project to be completed in late 2027.
After the new, larger reservoir is built, Beech Mountain Parks and Recreation plans to add a new trail system, a public beach area, picnic facilities, and other recreational opportunities for our residents and visitors. This will be a significant step toward the development of a hiking/biking trail system that links the Buckeye Lake area and the Bark Park areas, making a truly walkable town.
Mayor Weidner Abernethy commends our state and federal legislators, stating, “The Town of Beech Mountain is truly grateful for the support of elected officials, Rep. Virginia Foxx, Sen. Thom Tillis, and Sen. Ted Budd, and NC Legislators Rep. Dudley Greene, Rep. Ray Pickett, Sen. Ralph Hise, and Sen. Michael Lee. Their belief in Beech Mountain and their understanding of what this town needs to sustain itself and grow responsibly helped us secure the funds needed. Together with our water and sewer line infrastructure projects and our Commercial District Planning work, this project will ensure a bright future for us.”