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Farmers, fishermen relish rain -- campers cope
by Matt Hanson, Wake Weekly Summer Intern
Area residents had nearly gotten used to what became three months of April showers until the sun peeked out of the clouds late last week.
Falls Lake had been up, and rain caused many a ball game, tee time and camp activity to be postponed or canceled. But with the lake back down to normal levels and people quickly taking to the outdoors, many are recognizing the bright side of recent rains along with its problems. Falls Lake peaked at 262.9 feet mean sea level in mid-April and 256.1 feet msl on May 27 -- about 11 feet and 5 feet, respectively, above the desired level, according to the Army Corps of Engineers' Wilmington District. The lake was back down to 251.8 feet msl Tuesday as the Corps has eased water past the dam and out of the lake. At the peaks, high waters created problems with floating docks and buoys on the lake, and caused steep drop-offs in some spots, said Eric Dousharm, superintendent of Falls Lake State Recreation Area. But Doug Green, dockmaster at Rolling View Marina on the lake, added that the high waters have provided premium conditions for bass fishing. "We definitely have plenty of water out here and the fish are biting," Green said. Dousharm said rain has kept park visitation down on the weekends. But Green noted there were two fishing tournaments at the marina last weekend and another is planned for this weekend. Susan Simpson, director of the Wake Forest Department of Parks and Recreation said they have kept many events on schedule despite the rain. "We really have been pretty fortunate other than canceling a few ball games," the spokesman said, adding that a girls soccer camp continued last week at Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle School even though it rained. Some activities such as a basketball camp have not been affected at all. And life has gone on at Camp Kanata, where counselors said it rained three of five days during the last camp session. "The rain makes everything more of a hassle," said Nathan Calloway, who works with the camp's properties manager. But he added that there have been no big maintenance problems as a result of the spring's rains. Counselor Lindsay Hicks of Wake Forest said rain has necessitated more schedule flexibility and has kept counselors on their toes. "If it rains and we have 15 minutes left in a block, we've got to have a 15-minute activity ready," she said. As the clouds broke last Friday, Kanata campers took advantage of the respite from rain to brave the camp's high ropes course and swim in the lake -- things they enjoyed in the drier, hotter weather this week. Across the street at Brevofield Golf Links, dedicated golfers were playing the course Friday even before the rain let up. Extra water on the course has meant more frequent applications of fungicide for Ed Brevofield, a course partner. With all the rain, it's tough to keep fungi away, he explained. But fortunately for Brevofield, it's nearly as tough to keep some of his avid customers away. One group of golfers, who were wrapping up the 18th hole as the skies cleared, said they have come out at least once a week this spring -- rain or shine. "I think everyone has just accepted that it's going to rain and they are just going to play anyway," Brevofield speculated. In Franklin County, residents await the opening of Franklinton Area County Park, which was slated for a grand opening Wednesday. The weather has been a headache for construction on the site -- the ground would dry just long enough for the next storm to resaturate the park. "It's pretty much been at a standstill for the last 30 to 40 days," said Dave Munden, director of the Franklin County Department of Parks and Recreation. "I'm trying to arrange to get tents out there (for Wednesday's celebration)," Munden said. Other soggy parks have proven unreliable for scheduled baseball and softball games. "Sometimes the school fields we play on are not in the best of shape," Munden said. "We've had to cancel game after game after game." But he added that while the fields at Louisburg, Franklinton and Bunn high schools are not useable, games can still be played at Moose Lodge Park. Meanwhile, Franklin County farmers are even seeing some benefits from the season's rains, which Cedric Jones, director of the county's cooperative extension, emphasized is a dramatic shift from last year. "This time last year farmers were spending extra money on irrigation and extra labor," Jones said. This year the problem is leeching, in which heavy rains have washed out some of the nutrients in the soil that are necessary for plant growth. The cooperative extension is using information from N.C. State University to instruct farmers how to add extra fertilizer to their crops without over-fertilizing. Rain has been good for some of the corn crops, Jones said. As corn reaches maturation stage and begins to grow ears, it needs more water, he explained. And with rain letting up in the last week, the tobacco crops may be in an ideal position for a high yield, too, he added. Tobacco needs a few dry spells to maximize the plant's health. Jones said these periods give the plants' roots time to strengthen. Without the stress of periodic dry spells, tobacco roots remain shallow and narrow -- meaning lower-quality plants. If the weather continues to stay dry for long enough, though, Jones said, crops could be healthier than normal this year, especially since local farmers have prevented a common Franklin County tobacco problem, called blue mold, from returning this year. "We have potentially one of the best crops in a long time this year," he said.
Last Updated On: June 26, 2003
Copyright 2003 The Wake Weekly