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I would be interested in hearing about the local gov't hoops you had to jump through and what your shoreland rules and regs are down there.

Entities (and this may not be all inclusive) from which approval must be obtained to do almost anything include:
Duke Energy,
NC soil and Water conservation,
Burke County
Southpointe Homeowners Association

The lots in my development had specifed for them "pier zones", your dock must be built within them.  In most cases the lots only has a bluffed shoreline (I have a beach but most do not) so having a dock requires building on the bluff.  My dock extends maybe 3' onto the bluff with about a 3' wide walkway.  I could do not do more, no building of anything is allowed with 65' of the lake.  The total square footage of everything to do with the dock can be at most 1000 sqft.  There are restrictions on materials that can be used.

On the shoreline you will see big rocks.  I was required to add those (shoreline stabilization).  You may also see in some pictures dead trees in the water.  They may not be removed.
In fact you can do almost nothing in that 65' buffer.  Even if a tree dies, you can not cut it down without permission.  And if you do, you must replace it with trees that total the same diameter (a 10" tree if taken down mustbe replaced with ten 1" trees.)