Its a true paradox.
One of the most "natural" places to visit in Wilmington NC was actually made by man.
Sutton lake is one of the few places you can go in Wilmington and feel like you are in the country.
The lake was built in 72 when the former power company, CP&L, impounded Catfish Creek.
Sutton is located around 3 miles north-west of Wilmington up highway 421.
A NC Wildlife sign marks the entry to Sutton Road (next to the local Fire Station).
It is 1 1/2 miles to the lake from the highway; the first bit is paved; however, after that its dirt 'till you hit the boat ramps.
The lake is no bottomless pit, with an average depth of 6 to 8 feet.
However it a has a few areas as deep as 35 feet.
The dredged inlets, running from lake to lake, average from 10 to 20 feet.
It is worth mentioning that the lake is filled with tree stumps and should be navigated with caution.
Some time last year, the new power company, Progress Energy, made their plans to replace the coal-fired electrical plant with natural gas technology to the public.
This has had a lot of locals concerned with how the changes will affect the lake.
To ease their worries, a spokes man for Progress said that he didn't foresee any changes to access for the bow hunting or fishing on the lake.
It seems that the lake will be used in a similar way but the gas plant will actually require less water from the lake.
This was a case where nature wins, or perhaps was able to ensure the status quoe.
Unfortunately not all companies are as concerned with the environment.
We need to always follow up on companies that are sharing land with wildlife.