Wells, springs in need of protection

I live off Old Fort Road in the Spring Mountain community. My home is a log cabin built in the early 1890s from trees on the property. My water source is the original spring above the cabin. It is a gravity-flow water system from the spring down to the reservoir down to the cabin—no pumps etc. involved.

The spring’s output has diminished considerably over the past 24 years. When we bought the cabin and property in 1984, there was a bubbling, fast-flowing creek along one side of the cabin that you could hear at night as you fell asleep. On the other side was a smaller stream. Both of these emptied into and fed the pond in front of the cabin. At that time, the pond varied in depth from five feet at the bank to nine feet in the middle. It was stocked with fish and was home to frogs, ducks, blue heron and muskrats.

Over the years, I have seen major development in Fairview and significant changes in my property. There is no longer a stream with water flowing on one side of the cabin, and on the other side, the bubbling, fast-flowing creek is now a trickle. The pond’s water supply is almost nonexistent, and the pond is practically gone—becoming filled with unsightly reeds, weed and brush.

I am concerned with the impact of yet more proposed development in our Spring Mountain community. Our community’s water system is critical to all of us. I feel a public hearing is needed to address concerns regarding our streams, springs, wells and our water quality before The Cliffs [at High Carolina] proceeds with its proposed construction.

— Joan Hall
Fairview

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.