Flooding on Raleigh Greenway Trails

Background:

For those visiting Raleigh or are new residents of Raleigh not be aware of the wonderful park system and the “Capitol Area Greenway.”

The “Capitol Area Greenway” is a project in process. Started in March 1974 by the city council of Raleigh it has a master plan to make sure that there is open space for residents throughout the city. It is being built one trail, park and community area at a time.

Today the city boasts of at least 46 miles of trails connecting many of the 3000 acres of park land. Over the next few years I plan to follow all of these trails and share my impressions.

After a good start with the master plan, the parks and trails were damaged badly in 1996 by Hurricane Fran. Although a lot of clearing and rebuilding had to occur the years immediately after the storm the city is well underway on its project to create links between the various greenways. Though many of the trails are not yet connected, those that are create wonderful off road access to many parts of the city, especially for bikers and runners.

Shelley Lake and Lake Lynn Trails – Report 7

June 15th I visited the lake trails around Lake Lynn and Shelley Lake. The day before the remnants of Tropical Storm Alberto dumped 7-8 inches of water on the North Raleigh area.

Lake Lynn:

First I tried to see how Lake Lynn fared by attempting to enter from the Ray Road parking lot. The sky had cleared and it was a nice afternoon. I was greeted by a pair of blackbirds high in a tree overlooking the trail entrance.

Shortly I discovered their load greeting was probably more like bird laughter as they watched this silly dude trudge down the path into the woods. Immediately at the very first bend the trail ended in a new pond formed by the storm.

It wasn’t a complete loss as the water was still and in the afternoon light provided a fabulous reflection of the forest canopy. I of course got some excellent photos.

On the way out I notice some children catching small fish that had been flushed into the drainage/stream bed ditch near the trail entrance. They didn’t seem to mind the trail being out of commission.

I went down to the parking lot on Lynn Road where the earthen dam front is designed to protect the neighborhoods below from flooding. It was doing its job with great dispatch.

The outflow pipe was spraying water nearly straight out into the stream below. The flow was limited by the diameter of the pipe and whatever entry pipes that feed it.

I went to the path at the top of the bank/dam and to a look at the lake. It was much larger than itself. The outflow thing that is usually visible was deep below the water. Only the tops of the small trees on the lake’s south banking were visible. The boat dock was suspended in the lake with no clear path to land.

People could go on the west side of the lake just to the first boardwalk. There the boardwalk was deep in the water with just some tops of railing showing. Here a group of young teenagers were busy getting a bit wet to prove they could get onto the deck where the bridge begins. They seemed to be having a great time.

The path on this side was lined with ducks that seemed a bit tuckered. They lay on the water’s edge with their bills buried in their wings.

Going back I traveled up the east side. I didn’t travel far until I came upon a portion of the trail covered deeply in the water. Thanks to a nearby apartment trail this spot could be easily bypassed. Then I came to where the first bridge used to be.

Nothing of the bridge was visible. Not the railings or any of the wooden parts. The water was too thick in color to see if the bridge is still intact.

There was a duck and two young ducklings playing at the water’s edge. The ducklings were trying to reach small fish by thrusting their beaks down and their tails up. One of them seemed to get the idea. The other may go to bed hungry for a bit.

I also saw a large catfish prowling the shallow water. I don’t know what it was looking for, perhaps the food chain has been disrupted by the flooding.

It will take a few days for the water to recede sufficiently for someone to determine how well the bridges and boardwalks held up. This is probably the first time since Hurricane Fran that these have been so severely tested.

Shelley Lake:

After seeing how Lake Lynn was doing I decided to check out Shelley Lake. I parked in the Millbrook Road lot below the earthen banking/dam. The parking lot was dry and the water coming out the outflow appeared to be less vigorous than Lake Lynn.

The path to the south along the creek/stream appeared possibly passable. It might be okay for bikes, but I would want waders at least for a few days, as it has some low lying parts.
The lake loop trail was another story. From the top of the banking/dam it was clear that the flooding here was at least a significant, if not more so, than Lake Lynn.

The small trees that line the southern edge were completely invisible. Only one tiny patch of great stuck out. The trail on the western side of the lake ends immediately at the bottom of the first hill.

I worked my way around on the west side of the lake to a place just above the boat dock. The dock is sitting way up from its appointed place. The walkway to it is deep under water.

There is just a tiny strip of trail at the top of the hill which ends quickly both north and south.

I went back up to the art center and down the main trail to where the bridge should have been. There was just a tiny strip of pavement with water on either end. The bridge which is quite high off the water was not available for an appearance.

The ducks and geese, which have become quite dependent on folks bringing bread, were crowded into this tiny space waiting for children and the young at heart to toss a free lunch their way. They were not disappointed.

I am used to geese scattering when approached. Not these guys. Geese, ducks, goslings and related birds just moved slightly aside to let me pass and then closed ranks; their eyes intently on the bearers of bread.

They were surprisingly gent in seeking morsels. Not a lot of fighting. No threatening of small children. Truly gentle southern manners demonstrated by these fowl creatures.

The expansion of the lake was, as near as I could tell, a bit of a party for the birds.

The concrete bridge was, at least for the moment, only a memory.

It may be days before the full impact of the flooding on two of Raleigh’s premiere greenway trails is known. Hopefully the work following Hurricane Fran will minimize the damage.

Both lakes have served the neighborhoods below them well this time. Had this water flowed unchecked it would have resulted in significant damage to homes and businesses. Hopefully we will discover that they can be returned to their recreational and educational functions soon.