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Officials Warning Boaters About Low Lake Levels

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RALEIGH, N.C. — The drought may leave boaters at Jordan Lake high and dry -- literally.

The water level at Crossroads Marina is at a 20-year low. Many of the docks are out of the water and it is becoming very dangerous for boaters. Albert Urquhart, the marina's owner, is afraid he will be forced to take drastic measures if the water levels do not get better.

"If the water continues to go down dramatically, then we will have to evacuate the marina and take all of the boats out of the water and move to salvage the docks," he said.

In the meantime, officials are asking boaters to know some of the rules for being on the water.

If you are on a boat, you are required to have a wearable life jacket. You do not have to have it on, but you have to have it accessible in case there is an emergency. Boaters must also carry their boating registration, a throw cushion and a fire extinguisher.

Officials are asking boaters to be wary of debris, islands and stumps.

Since the middle of June, there have been at least a dozen reported incidents in the area directly related to low lake levels, but officials believe there have been more that went unreported.

Urquhart said he will have to shut down the marina by the end of August if there is not a significant amount of rain.

Officials said the last time lake levels were this low was 11 years ago.

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