Tabor City’s Lake Tabor gets fresh scrutiny as summer use picks up

North Carolina environmental officials are reminding residents to be careful around discolored water as the summer recreation season begins, and that warning lands close to home in Tabor City. The state says water that looks bright green, blue, scummy or otherwise unusual can signal an algal bloom, and people should avoid contact with it.

That matters at Lake Tabor because the lake is still used for recreation. It is not a closed or abandoned water body. Recent local coverage shows it remains part of community activity, including a bass tournament. In other words, this is a live public-water issue, not just an old environmental file sitting on a shelf.

What the state warning means

The May 20 notice from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality says algae are naturally present in water, but certain conditions can trigger blooms. The state also warns that some algae can produce toxins that may affect people, pets and aquatic life.

The important part for residents is that you cannot tell just by looking whether a bloom is harmful. That is why officials advise people to keep children and pets away from water that looks discolored or scummy, avoid touching visible mats of algae, and wash thoroughly if contact happens.

Why Lake Tabor draws extra attention

Lake Tabor has a long environmental record, and the state’s 2016 Lumber River Basin assessment helps explain why summer vigilance still makes sense. In that survey, DEQ described the lake as shallow, noted low water clarity, and recorded chlorophyll readings above the state standard. Based on those findings, the lake was classified as hypereutrophic in 2016.

That old assessment should be read as historical context, not as a fresh 2026 sample result. It does, however, show that Lake Tabor has dealt with nutrient and productivity problems before. For residents who use the lake for fishing or family recreation, that history makes the current caution easier to understand.

What this does and does not mean for drinking water

Just as important, the Lake Tabor warning should not be confused with Tabor City’s tap water. The town’s consumer confidence report says the municipal system uses groundwater from wells located throughout town. That means the state’s algal-bloom advisory is about surface-water recreation at the lake, not a household drinking-water alert.

For families, workers, and business owners in town, that distinction matters. A state warning about visible surface water can be serious without meaning that the town’s drinking-water system is affected. The practical takeaway is simple: watch the lake itself, avoid discolored water, and pay attention to updated DEQ guidance if conditions change.

Sources

• NC DEQ discolored-water warning
• Town of Tabor City drinking-water report
• Columbus County News on Lake Tabor activity