PLEASE NOTE: You DO NOT need to donate or live in Dekalb County or the state Georgia to sign the petition. I just appreciate your support! 

My name is Eve Overland. I am a resident of Stone Mountain, GA in Dekalb County. My backyard sits on a little lake, called Lake Michele.

Lake Michele address: 607 Waterview Court Stone Mountain, GA 30088. 

On September 26th, 2024, Hurricane Helene swept through Dekalb county. The aftermath turned my neighborhood's backyard into an 8-acre mud pile filled with trash.

The county owns the unincorporated/uninhabited property at 5182 Selene Drive 30088, which suffered the most damage. The storm water and strength of Helene flooded the lake and tore down large trees on county property, essentially ripping a gaping hole in the earth's natural dam. The county's parcel became the exit point where all the water viscously washed into our streets and downstream.

I watched in real time as the fish, wildlife and natural vegetation perished or was washed downstream. The environmental health of our neighborhood and the ecosystem received a severe blow that day. 

For the last month, I have been calling, emailing and trying to connect with any Dekalb County Department to listen to my concerns. No department has taken ownership and refers me to another.

This is an urgent matter if we don't act quickly. Due to the speed and velocity from the run off water of Dekalb County's Wade Walker Park located at 5585 Rockbridge Rd SW, the sediment is moving at a pace where the shallow end of the lake is travelling and settling into the lake's deep end.  Therefore, Lake Michele, its deepest point previously 8-10 feet, will soon even out and become an 8-acre glorified puddle. There will no longer be enough depth to reasonably restore the fish/aquatic life, not to mention, save the birds/wildlife and natural vegetation protected by the state of Georgia. 

Lake Michele plays an integral part of Dekalb County's Storm Water and Drainage System in our neighborhood. During rainstorms, much of this water is diverted from our streets by drains and culverts and deposited into Lake Michele. 

Additionally, Lake Michele is a part of Georgia's larger protected fresh water resource. The compounding effects of environmental damage will create a domino effect as the sediment and silt continue to move downstream into Georgia State owned rivers and waterways. Silt suffocates aquatic life and destroys native vegetation, and silt, when displaced, fills in and obstructs the flow of Georgia streams and rivers at a rapid pace. 

Please help urge Dekalb County District 4 County Commissioner, Watershed Management, Roads and Drainage, Public Works, Beautification and all other relevant departments to take ownership and undertake the renovation of county-owned property. This is the crucial first step in revitalizing Lake Michele which is deeply missed. #giveadamdekalb