By now, you’ve undoubtedly read or heard news reports that the Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is investigating some safety concerns at Gathright Dam in Alleghany County, Va.
The short version is that a team of Corps experts assigned Gathright Dam a Dam Safety Action Classification (DSAC) code of II on Sept. 2, 2009.
This means that Gathright Dam is considered to have unconfirmed (potentially unsafe) issues that merit further study and analysis. This rating is attributed to concerns about possible increased seepage at the toe of the dam, and an undetermined flow rate at the river spring a quarter mile downstream, and potential flow channels through limestone below the spillway during pool events above 1600 feet.
We're confident there is no evidence to suggest an emergency situation exists or is about to occur at Gathright Dam, but we’ve also taken immediate action to minimize risk to public safety and, throughout 2010, we’ll be investigating the three unconfirmed safety issues at Gathright.
I recognize that many of you may have questions or concerns you’d like to address privately or publicly. If you’d like to send in your questions by e-mail, please send them to gathrightsafety@usace.army.mil. If you’d like to share your questions or concerns publicly, please post them here on the blog. Either way, I will ensure you get a response.
For those of you who just want to follow our progress at Gathright Dam, I encourage you to see our dedicated Web page at http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/gathrightsafety.asp. Or, you can stay up-to-date on the latest Gathright Dam developments, by following our Twitter updates (http://www.twitter.com/norfolkdistrict), viewing our Flickr photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/armyengineersnorfolk) and checking out our Facebook FanPage (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Norfolk-VA/Norfolk-District-US-Army-Corps-of-Engineers/38798304057).
I look forward to hearing your thoughts and answering your questions on this issue.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
11 comments:
I appreciate your comments and updates. My family spends a lot of time on the Jackson River and on Lake Moomaw. We also own a home on the Jackson River near Covington. We will be looking forward to following your progress on your webpage. Again, thanks for keeping us informed.
It makes me ill to hear the gossip mongers in town say we're sitting on another New Orleans waiting to happen. I see that dam every day; it's hard to reconcile what I see with the information being passed along. I honestly can't believe there's anything vitally wrong with that dam.
At what level will the Fortney Branch and Coles Point boat ramps be out of the water? We love to fish on Lake Moomaw but have a two hour drive to get to the lake. Will the lake continue to drop a foot a day until it reaches a certain level or just continue to drop a foot a day indefinitely? Thanks for any information you can provide.
Dear Mary Alice:
Thank you for for your question. As of today (Nov. 10), we've lowered Lake Moomaw to a level of 1562.0, which is 20 feet from its normal pool elevation of 1582.0.
We plan to maintain this current pool elevation of 1562 for at least the next two months pending the outcome of ongoing engineering studies/analyses.
The current pool elevation allows for continued boating access via the Fortney Branch boat ramp. The Coles Point boat ramp is closed.
Sincerely,
COL Andy Backus
I just learned of the situation with Gathright Dam and spend alot of time here on foot and in my boat during the summer months. Has the road across the dam going to and from Coles point been closed to all traffic as of this time? Even though the ramp is closed, can I still acess this area for foot travel above the dam?
The only thing on Coles closed is the boat ramp.. all roads are open and the Fortney ramp is still open and operational.
Dear Anonymous:
The road to Coles Point is open and accessible by foot (24-7). The boat ramp at Coles Point is still closed and many boaters are launching from the Fortney Branch ramp.
As of November 10, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, has lowered Lake Moomaw to a level of 1562.0, which is 20 feet from its normal pool elevation of 1582.0. We plan to maintain this current pool elevation of 1562 for at least the next two months pending the outcome of ongoing engineering studies/analysis.
If you have additional questions please feel free to post your comment or call us at 757-201-7606. I am also including the link to the Gathright Dam public web site page. We update it regularly.
www.nao.usace.army.mil/gathrightsafety.asp
Best Wishes and Happy Holidays!
COL Andy Backus
Will the lake level be raised back to full pond in January pending the outcome of the study? We have plenty of water to fill it now. That can change in January like it did last year when we had minimal rain and the lake did not reach full pond until late March. The fishing was not so good this past year on the lake. I hope that it can return to full pond before the bass search out their spawning areas. I have read the Dec 9 posting of the dam operating as it is supposed to. I hope there is no delays in filling the lake. This is our life blood for Alleghany county. I know the dam is safe, I watched it being built. Thank you.
COL Backus,
i was wondering, our bass club Highlands bassmasters, out of covington va is trying to make our 2010 tournament schedule and we were interested to know whether the lake would stay at 1562 for most of the year or if you plan to lower it to the 1554 level as first planned? we were still able to launch out of fortney at 1554.5 last year so the 1554 level would be a close call. has any plans to extend the ramp been drawn up?
thanks for your help and merry christmas
sean sabol - union, wv
Darren & Sean:
Based on our review of the preliminary reports from the ongoing engineering studies/analyses, we're maintaining the current lake level at elevation 1562 into January 2010. A decision will be made in January on whether to raise the lake level above 1562. That decision will be based on our review of the final engineering studies/analyses reports.
Building Strong!
COL Andy Backus
i see the lake has come up to 1566 with an outflow of 150 cfs and 1000 coming in from the river. are you filling the lake back up?
thanks again
sean sabol
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