ADOPT-AN-ISLAND
FOLKS is grateful to the organizations and individuals that volunteered to adopt the Lake Keowee islands. The Island Keeper program includes the primary task periodic island sweeps. The first one has taken place, and in the process, several examples of poor stewardship of these precious natural resources have been reported. Duke Energy allows the boating public to pursue lawful recreation activities on all Duke Energy-owned islands and has published the Shoreline Management Guidelines (SMG). To view the entire SMG document, here is the link: http://www.duke-energy.com/pdfs/shoreline_mgt_guide.pdf
Not surprisingly, the most prevalent disturbing behavior is littering. Leaving trash for others to pick up is an obvious violation (see SMG p. J-70, “Island Users’ Responsibilities”). Other infractions include camping overnight, cutting down trees and building fires (see SMG p. J-70 “Fires and Camping”).
Perhaps one of the reasons for bad behavior is that the offending public is not aware of the rules for use of the islands. In an effort to remedy that lack of awareness, Duke Energy will soon be providing signage at the public access areas that clearly spells out the day-usage rules of the islands.
The locations of the islands makes them attractive stops for boaters, yet their small size usually intensifies concerns about user impacts and waste disposal. Since the islands are an integral part of the beauty of the lake, they deserve to be treated respectfully.
