Greetings! Here’s a mid-December update on news and progress taking place in Montreat.
Exciting Progress on the Renovation of Lake Susan in Montreat
The renovation of Lake Susan is nearing a major milestone: the refilling of the lake, which should begin by the end of the calendar year.
Over the past several weeks, some 22,000 cubic yards of sediment have been removed, more than three times the pre-hurricane estimate. Carried downstream by Flat Creek over twenty years (or, during the hurricane, over a few hours), the sediment had reduced the lake’s depth and compromised its beauty and functionality. The restored lakebed will improve water quality and ensure Lake Susan remains a vibrant part of Montreat’s landscape. In addition to sediment removal:
- A wetlands area is being built on the eastern bank to support protected wildlife and promote biodiversity. This wetlands zone will provide a habitat for native species and help maintain the ecological balance of the lake.
- To prevent future sediment buildup, the team is installing a trench below the Lake Susan Bridge to catch sediment as it reaches the lake, reducing the need for future dredging and helping maintain the lake’s depth and clarity.
- Further work will take place in the stream bed above the lake in coming weeks to return Flat Creek to its original thalweg (a new word to me, meaning “the line or curve of lowest elevation within a valley or watercourse”). Over many years, Flat Creek’s path has drifted closer to McAlister Gym. This part of the project will help reestablish the creek’s historical flow, hopefully minimizing the impact of future flooding events and maintaining the water quality of the creek.
With the project nearing completion, we want to express again our gratitude to the State of North Carolina for its support. Beyond the recreational, scenic, and environmental benefits noted above, Lake Susan is Montreat’s most important facility for stormwater retention, value that needs no elaboration in these post-Helene times.
Logically, thanks are due also to Montreaters for their patience during the inconvenience and mess, yet it feels somewhat unnecessary. So many folks have enjoyed standing and watching the excavators and dump trucks do their thing, announcing news of the project’s completion may land for some a little hard, as if learning that a favorite television show is being cancelled. To the children and those young at heart who have stood and watched, our apologies. It was fascinating while it lasted.
Buildings and Campus Restoration
Restoration of the remainder of the conference center’s buildings and campus is progressing as well and will continue well into the spring. Here’s a list of buildings that received at least some storm mitigation and are in various stages of repair:
The Barn, The Wilbur Currie Craft Center, The Belk Center at Left Bank, Assembly Inn, The Gate House, Bill Wilde Youth Center, The Walkup Building, The Updike Building, Moore Center, The Post Office, The Way Out, The Maintenance Building, Reynolds Lodge, Winsborough Inn, Glen Rock Inn, and Freeland Hall/Presbyterian Heritage Center.
Priority for renovation was given to the facilities needed first, and sufficient progress has been made that we will be able to host our College Conference that kicks off on January 2. Another high priority has been the Montreat Post Office, which sustained minor damage but has required more time to repair than originally anticipated. (Montreat residents, which have been traveling to Ridgecrest to pick up their mail, definitely deserve our thanks for their patience.)
Great credit is due to Director of Facilities John Quinzi and our maintenance team as well as to a long list of people too numerous to mention by name, representing storm mitigation and remediation specialists, contractors, insurance partners, a host of volunteers, and the rest of our Montreat staff.
Other News and Notes
Montreat Trails: Trails on the west side of Montreat—Stomping Knob and Upper and Lower Piney—will reopen by the end of the year, completing phase two of our trail recovery plan. Phase three, which includes Graybeard, Harry Bryan, and the Sanctuary trails, will require a longer recovery period due to extensive damage to trails and bridges. We are grateful to the many volunteers who helped with this recovery, notably the Carolina Mountain Club.
College Conference: We now expect that more than 500 college students will attend this annual gathering of young adults in Montreat. This year’s theme, chosen long ago, seems apt: Unimaginable Possibilities: God’s Hope for a Weary World.
Volunteering: The conference center has entered a partnership with Fuller Center Disaster ReBuilders (FCDR), providing Hickory Lodge to Fuller for the housing of volunteers through mid-May and again next fall.
Organized in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, FCDR is a 501(c)(3) Christian organization dedicated to serving the victims of major disasters in the United States. They support rebuilding following major disasters, serving uninsured (i.e., no flood insurance) and low-income homeowners, using volunteer labor to make rebuilding effort more affordable. If you have interest in organizing a work group to volunteer with FDCR please contact their scheduler at disaster-rebuilders@fullercenter.org or 346.763.7499. More information can be found here.
Farewells
While recovery continues in Montreat and across the region, reminders of the human cost of Hurricane Helene are never too far from the mind and heart. The Asheville Watchdog, a local news resource, has been publishing the stories of lives lost and last week included a tribute of Norman McGahee. Mr. McGahee was a Swannanoa resident whose son, Amaand, served on our staff as a cook in the Assembly Inn kitchen for many years. Mr. McGahee’s story, and others, can be found here.
Amaand has since left the valley to pursue a fresh start and new opportunities elsewhere. We wish him well even as his absence is felt – especially by those on our hospitality staff who appreciated both his vocational dedication and his friendship.
In closing, we extend our gratitude once more to you, as well as our prayer that God’s presence fills you with peace, hope, and love this Christmas season. In case you missed it, I invite you check out The Gift of Advent, our fifth annual collection of scripture passages and activities that may serve as small gifts for your family to enjoy together.
In closing, we extend our gratitude once more to you, as well as our prayer that God’s presence fills you with peace, hope, and love this Christmas season. In case you missed it, I invite you check out The Gift of Advent, our fifth annual collection of scripture passages and activities that may serve as small gifts for your family to enjoy together.
Merry Christmas, and more to come!
Richard DuBose
President, Montreat Conference Center