What would be the impacts to Harris Lake?
To accommodate the new units, we would increase the level of Harris Lake by about 20 feet over several years. Progress Energy’s application to the NRC includes a detailed outline of water needs for the new units, and proposes construction of a pipeline to pump water from the Cape Fear River. The flow would be relatively constant in order to keep the lake full, and any water above the full capacity would spill over the dam and flow down Buckhorn Creek, back to the Cape Fear River. Even if water is withdrawn from the Cape Fear River for the new units, it would be a very small percentage of the average annual flow in the river. We are also investigating alternative water-supply options and water-saving technologies.
