North Carolina SB 697: Lake Norman Marine Commission.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 3
SENATE BILL 697
State and Local Government Committee Substitute Adopted 5/6/25
Third Edition Engrossed 5/7/25

Short Title: Lake Norman Marine Commission. (Public)
Sponsors:
Referred to:
March 26, 2025
*S697-v-3*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO CODIFY AND RECONSTITUTE THE LAKE NORMAN MARINE 2
COMMISSION TO ADDRESS OPERATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE 3
IMPROVEMENTS NECESSARY TO THE EFFECTUAL STEWARDSHIP OF LAKE 4
NORMAN AND TO ENSURE ITS WATER QUALITY, THE SAFETY OF 5
RECREATIONAL USERS, AND THE ECONOMIC AND PUBLIC HEALTH OF THE 6
LAKE NORMAN REGION. 7
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 8
SECTION 1.(a) Chapter 77 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 9
Article to read: 10
"Article 6B. 11
"Lake Norman Marine Commission." 12
SECTION 1.(b) Chapter 1089 of the 1969 Session Laws, as amended by Section 3 13
of Chapter 494 of the 1991 Session Laws and Section 1 of Chapter 797 of the 1991 Session Laws, 14
is codified in Article 6B of Chapter 77 of the General Statutes, as enacted by subsection (a) of 15
this section, as follows: 16
17
Section of 1969 Session Law G.S. Section 18
Section 1 G.S. 77-89.1 19
Section 2 G.S. 77-89.2 20
Section 3 G.S. 77-89.3 21
Section 4 G.S. 77-89.4 22
Section 5 G.S. 77-89.5 23
Section 6 G.S. 77-89.6 24
Section 7 G.S. 77-89.7 25
Section 8, as amended G.S. 77-89.8 26
Section 9 G.S. 77-89.10 27
SECTION 1.(c) Article 6B of Chapter 77 of the General Statutes, as enacted by 28
subsection (a) of this section and as amended by subsection (b) of this section, reads as rewritten: 29
"Article 6B. 30
"Lake Norman Marine Commission. 31
"§ 77-89.1. Definitions. 32
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the The following definitions apply in this 33
Act:Article: 34

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 697-Third Edition
(1) Board: Board. – The board of commissioners publicly elected governing board 1
of one of the four counties.participating local governments. 2
(2) Commission: Commission. – The Lake Norman Marine Commission or its 3
governing board, as the case may be.Commission. 4
(3) Commissioner: Member Commissioner. – A member of the governing board 5
of the Lake Norman Marine Commission. 6
(4) Eligible local governments. ‒ Each of the four counties. 7
(4)(5) Four counties: Four counties. – Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg 8
Counties. 9
(5)(6) Joint resolution: resolution. – A resolution substantially identical in content 10
adopted separately by the board in of each of the four counties.participating 11
local governments. 12
(6)(7) Lake Norman: Norman. – The impounded body of water along the Catawba 13
River in the four counties extending from the bridge crossing of Rural Road 14
1004 base of Lookout Shoals Dam downstream to Cowans Ford Dam.Dam 15
and lying below the full pond elevation of 760 feet above mean sea level based 16
on the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. 17
(8) Participating local government. ‒ Any of the eligible local governments that 18
have adopted a resolution to participate in the Commission and have not 19
withdrawn. 20
(7)(9) Shoreline area: area. – Except as modified by a joint resolution of the four 21
counties, participating local governments, the area within the four counties 22
lying within one mile 50 feet landward of the mean high water line full pond 23
elevation contour of Lake Norman. In addition, the shoreline area shall include 24
This term also includes all islands within Lake Norman and all peninsulas 25
extending into the waters of Lake Norman. 26
(8)(10) Wildlife Commission: Resources Commission. – The North Carolina Wildlife 27
Resources Commission.Commission established under Article 24 of Chapter 28
143 of the General Statutes. 29
"§ 77-89.2. Creation of Commission authorized. 30
(a) The counties of Catawba, Iredell, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg are hereby authorized 31
participating local governments may by joint resolution to create the Lake Norman Marine 32
Commission. Upon its creation creation, the Commission shall enjoy the powers and have the 33
duties has the powers, duties, and responsibilities conferred upon it by the joint resolution, subject 34
to the provisions of this Act. Article. The provisions of any joint resolution may be modified, 35
amended, or rescinded by a subsequent joint resolution. The purpose of the Lake Norman Marine 36
Commission is to ensure the coordinated governance applicable to Lake Norman and its shoreline 37
area concerning all matters related to public recreation and water quality and safety. 38
(b) A county participating local government may unilaterally withdraw from 39
participation as required by any joint resolution or the provisions of this Act, Article, once the 40
Commission has been created, and any county participating local government may unilaterally 41
withdraw from said commission at the end of any budget period. the Commission by resolution 42
of its board upon the conclusion of t