Lake Burton Civic AssociationC October 2015 NewsletterLBCA President’s Letter As we relax and enjoy the colorful Goat island was completed. In addition, beauty of fall in the mountains, we can look the LBCA works continuously to monitor back on a very successful series of and promote the ever important quality of association sponsored summer events. It the water in our beautiful lake. Please see started early with great participation in our the article by Bill Russell on this subject lake cleanup day on the first of May. The elsewhere in this newsletter. And, as I write annual membership meeting followed in this, your association delivered its last June, complete with barbeque by the newly checks of the season to the county deputies re-opened Lake Burton Grille and Grocery. for assisting our DNR officers on their boat George Pickett, Your association’s golf tournament to patrols. This program significantly LBCA President benefit the local enhances the officers’ volunteer fire depart- effectiveness in en- ments, held at Water- forcing boating safety. fall Club on the last For our members, a day of July, was so new and enhanced popular that it could website was activated not accommodate all in mid-summer. See those who wanted to the article by Kent play. The following Gustafson in this Saturday evening newsletter for a re- featured a fun dining view of its expanded experience catered by capabilities. The Varsity and complete with a DJ. It was I write about this year’s fun activities the first purely social happening hosted by and worthwhile accomplishments for a the LBCA in a number of years, and all lake reason other than a simple review. We want residents and their house guests were and need your participation! If you are a invited. And let’s not forget all those lake resident and are not an LBCA member, activities not directly sponsored by the you should be. The benefits we all enjoy do LBCA — the fireworks, the Fun Run, and not happen by themselves. They only occur all the potluck dinners, barbeques, fish and after members pay their dues and donate chicken fries, and on-the-water events that their time and effort. Please join us. You make Lake Burton such a varied and can do so by going to our website at interesting place to be. www.lbca.net and clicking on Membership The above paragraph lists events that at the bottom of the page. If you have any are both worthwhile and enjoyable because questions, click on Contact or write us at they involve group activities. But your LBCA, P.O. Box 1988, Clayton, GA 30525. association also accomplishes less fun but Lake Burton Civic Association no less important projects. In the Spring, in [email protected] www.lbca.net a joint venture with Georgia Power, the 706-782-4904 installation of stone rip rap to prevent Post Office Box 1988 further erosion of the south end of Billy George Pickett Clayton, GA 30525-0050 Lake Burton Lake Burton Civic AssociationC Newsletter October 2015 Newsletter October 2015 Civic AssociationC Protect Your Shoreline and the Lake by Bill Russell Nearby Fall Color Hikes by Nolan Leake In the past several newsletters concerns. Many of us have shoreline restacking of this rip rap during the ‘Tis the season to enjoy the trailhead and small parking area on the Mount Yonah our water quality and environmental that is not very accessible by land, winter will provide a look at the beautiful fall colors at the lake. There left. Yonah Mountain is not an easy articles have focused on shoreline making it more difficult to dump and condition of the grout in your are three nearby hikes, two easy and The one mile trail goes smartly hike. The trail climbs almost 1500’ in protection from the pounding of the place the rock. If that is the case you seawall as well as some good exercise! one hard, which have spectacular uphill for about 1/4 mile, but it is 2.2 miles, but your hard work will be ever increasing popularity of wake may want to consider having the rock There is nothing like moving some vistas from which to admire the colors. gentle ups and downs after that. In rewarded with some of the most rock around on a cool day to keep many places you are walking through a stunning views in north Georgia. An boarding and recreational boating in brought to your shoreline by barge Pickens Nose cave of huge overarching rhodo- added plus is the chance to admire the general. Left unaddressed shoreline you warm. OR . you can contract a One of the easy ones is the hike to dendrons. This is bear country and massive granite face of the mountain erosion, a large contributor to the builder, landscaping company, or the fire tower atop Glassy Mountain, you may see one. About halfway, look from the parking lot before you begin buildup of silt and sediment in the “Proper placement handyman to handle this for you. which I described in our May for a trail to the left your hike. Yonah means “bear” in lake, can also cause irretrievable land of rip rap has There are quite a few skilled folks newsletter. The that leads to a Cherokee and there are several cheesy loss from your lot. Proper around the lake that are looking to fill other easy hike is become the spectacular view to Indian legends attached to the placement of rip rap (and other rock their winter work calendars so take Pickens Nose, which the east, across the mountain which are probably as depending on your particular preferred means of advantage of the opportunity. is at the south end of Little Tennessee authentically Cherokee as Helen is shoreline) has become the preferred a ridge whose shoreline The nice thing about placing rip River Valley to Scaly Bavarian. means of shoreline stabilization as it distinctive profile you stabilization” rap (vs. building a seawall) is that Mountain, Whit- To reach the trailhead, take GA not only checks the erosion but also can see as you look eside Mountain and Highway 75 between Helen and helps reduce the amount of wave there is very little in the way of land above the Rabun Rabun Bald to the Cleveland and turn left onto Tom Bell reflection. For those of us that have for rough placement while the water disturbance considerations (permits, G a p – N a c o o ch e e southeast. Return Road at the Western Sizzlin. Then, silt screen installation, inspections, School campus when seawalls, adding large rip rap at the is still at or near full pool and then to the main trail and, take the first left onto Chambers Road etc). Georgia Power is very proactive driving north on US Rhododendron on Pickens Nose trail. base of the seawall will not only making placement adjustments by as the trail narrows, and watch for the Forest Service sign in the use of rip rap for shoreline 441. Although a clever play on words, protect your seawall investment by hand over the winter while the water it takes a sharp right turn onto a rock for the trailhead and turn left on the stabilization and seawall protection Pickens Nose (not pickin’) was named preventing undermining of the is down. Proper placement of the outcropping which has the best views. gravel road to the parking lot. The and will likely grant quick approval for General Andrew Pickens, a foundation but will also greatly rock is critical to both function and Looking south, you see Black cliff face is used about once a month for your project. As always, it is military leader in northeast Georgia reduce the wave reflection off the stability. If the rough edges of the Rock Mountain and, in the distance, by the Army Rangers for their two day advised that you check in with the and the western Carolinas during the wall back into the lake as was rock are interlocked correctly the Glassy Mountain, Charlie Mountain mountain training and some areas of GPC Land Management Office to 1760 Cherokee War and Revolutionary frequency of need and a patch of Lake Burton. Amid all the mountain will be closed to civilians make sure you are in compliance with War. Although he and his troops to adjust and the fall colors, the only disheartening at that time. Call ahead to 706-864- any shoreline management guide- fought the Cherokees in this area, they restack is greatly sight is looking down at the respected him and he them. They reduced. lines. Visit Georgia Power’s website hundreds of giant skeletons called him “Skyagunta” (the Wizard atwww.georgiapowerlakes.com for of the once-mighty hemlocks When adding Owl) and he retired to live among more information on these guide- that lined Betty’s Creek, killed rip rap to the base them late in life. By the way, portraits lines. by the woolly adelgid. The of a seawall the show that he indeed had quite a nose Forest Service estimates that best effect is One look at the success we had on him. achieved with a 45 with the Billy Goat Island “Fire- north Georgia has lost To reach the trailhead, go north 500,000–1,000,000 hemlocks, degree (or less) works Point” project shows the huge on US 441 to Otto, NC and turn left at a 95% die off. slope of the stone difference rip rap can make. The the Coweeta Lab sign. Go past the lab Look toward the other Water Quality and Environmental with the top edge onto the gravel road which forks off to rock outcropping behind you of the stone being Committee appreciates your support the left.