In case you haven’t heard, Watauga Lake near Hampton TN has a problem with people leaving tremendous amounts of human waste in homeless camps on the shoreline all around the lake. Its so bad, the Forest Service is closing lake access areas. There’s lots more, including pics, on the “poop” page at homelessdanger2u.weebly dot com.
Too bad, because its a really a great place to paddle.
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We had that problem at a local ramp. It was resolved when people were injured in a fire.
In a week it was gone. The county ran them off. That was the Texas way of handling the problem 30 years ago.
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Funny you mention it, because a shelter along the Appalachian Trail at Watauga Lake that’s another popular spot with the homeless, burned to the ground 2 weeks ago under suspicious circumstances.
I did a Google news search for “Watauga Lake homeless” and it came back with zero results. I searched again for “Watauga Lake” and nothing about homeless encampments came up, but I did see this:
Butler marina fined $32,000 for discharging wastewater into Watauga Lake
And this:
Visitors leaving trash leads to closure of Little Stony Dispersed Camping Area
This post appears to be some kind of troll.
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Glad you’re looking out for the paddling community, but calling me a troll doesn’t change the fact that Watauga Lake has a huge problem with homeless drug addicts living in tents and cars on Public Lands. It sounds like you didn’t bother checking the source I referenced in my initial post where there are photographs and tons of evidence to support my warning to paddlers about the dangers posed by these issues on the lake.
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Duplicate post deleted. Not fishing for a fight. Just warning other paddlers
fixed the link.
Thank you. Much obliged. Clearly I’m not a bot, lol
I figured you’re not a bot, but you need to change your handle because every time I look at it I read it as HomeLander.
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Not a bot, just off-topic, and trying to troll for page views to his web site is what I figured. If the problem is real, take it up with your state government. I don’t see what this has to do with paddling.
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Because if Google says it doesn’t exist, it doesn’t exist I guess. And only Google and certain organizations are permitted to seek page views I guess (not saying this was a case of that).
I don’t think the site needs a Deputy fact checker. Take it at face value.
I don’t see how an OP can be off topic, by definition, and it was at least tangentially related to paddling no less than many other threads. What is the paddling knowledge domain?
Giving it legs by responding is the ultimate bait-taking if it is trolling. You had a choice and gave it legs because your desire to stake a claim won out.
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really sad to see people trash public lands
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If you bothered to educate yourself by looking at the website, instead of being so snyde, you’d realize the extent to which government officials, both State, Local and Federal have been contacted. Politicians, police and pundits; for many years. Its all very well documented. The problem persists however, so warning other recreational enthusiasts like yourself about a situation that affects their personal safety seems like the necessary thing to do. It amazes me that you are so threatened by my post that you jump to conclusions without bothering to have a look for yourself. The bottom line is - I have every right to be here and post my thoughts, so get bent.
Thank you
As a Tennessean, I have run across such areas increasingly the last 5-10 years when it used to be limited to the likes of big cities.
Doesn’t have to be big cities anymore, so I appreciate the head’s up as I like to explore. This area is one I am familiar with at the nexus of VA/NC/TN at the edge of the Blue Ridge and it is a beautiful part of the country otherwise.
Especially appreciated since it doesn’t get reported on “google” nor major media, potentially for reasons that would certainly be off topic here. If you search a little deeper than page 1, or use a non-Google based engine (there are only a couple), then you’d see 1. there is a lot of drug issues and addiction-help orgs in that area, 2. small towns decimated by covid policies and 3. local people on fishing boards/forums etc that provide warnings about the dangers of the drug addict crime and encampments.
For those that don’t know, it is a natural gem (Source: Wikipedia):
“Watauga Lake, located east of Elizabethton, Tennessee, is the local name of the Watauga Reservoir created by the Tennessee Valley Authority with the 1948 completion of the TVA Watauga Dam.
According to lake expert Holly C Ward, Watauga Lake is the third cleanest in the country.
The Cherokee National Forest surrounds both the Tennessee Valley Authority Watauga Reservoir and Wilbur Reservoir in an area of northeast Tennessee that TVA describes as being located “in some of the most beautiful country in the Tennessee River watershed”.”
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I’ve felt safe paddling on the Noli, French broad, toe rivers. Not worried about the locals. I paddle with them. Sorry to hear about the lake. In general, I try to paddle in places where I feel wanted.
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I paddle often at Lake Wautuga - it is very clean and safe and beautiful in my experience.
The Appalcahian Trail passes by the lake - by definition any “thru-hiker” is tehnically a homeless person. I don’t see the value or point in stigmatizing them.
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These aren’t hikers and it sounds like you didn’t bother to look at the website before you chimed in. I live here, so I’m warning others, like yourself, who might be unaware. If I’m trying to stigmatize anyone, its the idiots who bury their heads in the sand and claim there is no problem. Let me just point out that another launch was closed to YOU last week by the Forest Service, because there is so much human waste and drug trash that its become a health hazard. Thats another place you can’t go now (or launch from), because of the impacts from the drug camps.
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I’m glad so many decided to post to my thread. To those who think I’m a troll looking to start drama - think whatever you want, but rest assured - this problem of drug camp crime is on its way to a place you love.
To those who agree - fight the problem now, or lose the places that you seek out to pull you through.
The choice is yours, I’ve made mine.
YOUR Public Lands closed to YOU…
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