My name is Crystal Cales

I am the Founder of the “Quality Water Awareness Campaign, ” QWAC for short. My family has owned businesses and been living at Lake Gaston for over 45 years … and Man has it Changed!

Back then, the water was clean and clear. The Shoreline was mostly woods with campers here and there. No phones, and, before cell phones. Cows grazed and were often seen on and in the lake edge waters.

903 was a gravel road past Tanglewood. Ebony General Store was a TRUE general store: batteries, fuses, bait, beer, gas and before “Billy Dogs.”

After that, you were on your own. No stores anywhere! When you came to the Lake, you brought your provisions with you. Those are my memories of the “Olden Days.” Now we have Food Lion, Ace, and ABC and Restaurants.

We also have thousands of new residents that don’t know what to do to protect the Lake. QWAC is about making “Olden Days” for Future Generations through Education.

Today, the shoreline is house after house, and bigger house. Elaborate landscaping with NO buffer along the water’s edge to catch the fertilizers and weed killers. Septic systems that can’t keep up. Wake boats eroding the shore.

It ALL goes into the Lake. Most of you know that.

I can’t make you do the right thing, but I do urge you to spread the knowledge of good stewardship practices that will help preserve our lake water for future generations. For me it started with people blowing their leaves into the lake: “If You Love Me, Don’t Leaf Me.”

The lake is big and many homeowners don’t realize the things they do to maintain their property has a negative and residual impact on the quality of the water in our lake Gaston.

“My leaves are just a ‘drop in the bucket.” That bucket is FULL. Just ask someone who lives in a cove. Education is KEY. QWAC is a campaign to educate and promote awareness through marketing of good stewardship practices.

Each of you is an important partner in this campaign to guide and educate homeowners on how to protect and preserve our lake waters now and for the future.

Thank you for taking the time to consider what you can do to help spread the word of ways to keep our lake water clean and healthy now and for future “Olden Days.”