What's $6 million to the swells on the LOW board?

November 13, 2009 1:41 am

The new dam spillway at the Lake of the Woods, ordered by the state Soil and Water Commission, has caused widespread dissension among the LOW property owners.

And why not? The $6 million-plus project will cost every property owner $1,200, assuming the state kicks in with $1 million. Yes, fellow Virginia taxpayers, your taxes are helping to pay for this.

The dam was reclassified as a Class I Hazard dam in 2001, in clear violation of the state's own regulations. It did not then, and does not now, meet the requirements for a Class I Hazard dam.

The LOW board of directors passed a resolution on Sept. 16 stating the dam should only be a "Significant Hazard" dam, which would not require any spillway change.

But the board refused to challenge the state and simply agreed to capitulate. What's $6 million, give or take a few?

One person commented, "Let's just pay the money and get it behind us." News flash: Spending $1,200 just before Christmas is not putting it behind many of the LOW residents.

Maybe the board members forgot their first duty is to the LOW property owners, not to the state agencies.

In defense of the board, they can rest assured that when we get 37 inches of rain in 24 hours, sometime in the next 500 or 10,000 or 1 million years, the dam will survive.

Sometimes, those who are pushing safety to the limit really run amok.

There are several efforts currently under way, including petitions and pending lawsuits, to put an end to this travesty.

William E. Nowers

Orange