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LOW dam studies are not at all consistent Date published: 12/9/2009
LOW dam studies are not at all consistent
Lake of the Woods residents question the state's dam classification ["LOW restates dam objections," Nov. 20]. We understand that Virginia's Soil and Water Conservation Board believes that our main dam meets their standards to be a Class I, High Hazard Impounding Structure. This means we must increase our spillway capacity to the tune of $6 million. Does one hand know what the other is doing? VDOT has only two culverts under State Route 3, which have been at full capacity on more than one occasion handling our existing spillway. Their engineers must have studied our dam and the watershed that feeds it. When upgrading to a dual highway, wouldn't they have evaluated their water runoff requirements on a cost-risk-benefit basis? It is obvious that VDOT believes it has built a roadway that will be safe to travel on during severe storms. How can the Soil and Water Conservation Board evaluate our situation so differently? And they talk about 37 inches of rain within 24 hours? Nowhere in the U.S. has that yet happened. I would hope that this unrealistic demand from the Soil and Water Conservation Board could be put on hold until an appeal is made to Kevin Matteson Orange
the standards were tightened. Does anyone know if these new
standards are driven by the Feds or the State ? I know folks in
NC that live in a similar development with a lake and they say
they they are not having to upgrade their spillway so I'm
wondering where the new standards are actually coming from.
LOW attempted to purchase several homes in the danger zone but some refused to sell at the price LOW was willing to buy them out for. Because of that the state requirements kicked in. Had they been able to purchase all those homes, they would have then either condemned them or bulldozed them and everything would have been ok with the current setup.
The issue here is whether there is a danger to the community if the dam failed. LOW has done everything the state requested to assure them that the safety of the community came first, even purchasing a home that would have been in it's path should the dam fail. Unfortunately, the state had already decided LOW's fate....I wonder how many of Virginia's spillways, bridges, dams would be considered safe should we get a storm with potential rainfall of 37"?
One time in US recorded history there has been rainfall in excess of VA. SWCB high hazard dam requirement.
Claudette produced torrential rains in both Texas and Louisiana when it made landfall. The highest one-day total was reported near Alvin, Texas where 42 inches (1,100 mm) of rain fell. This remains the twenty-four hour rainfall record for any location in the United States.
If there ever is rain of that magnitude in VA. the spillway at LOW will be the least of VA's problems and the dam would not fail
She dumped at least 27 inches of rain in 5 hours on VA. Nor do they know about Hurricane Claudette which dumped 43 inches on Texas. As for the roadway and VDOT, sounds typical of them. If that dam gives way though, whatever they do or don't do for the roadway won't matter, not when a wall of water 40 feet high comes plowing through.
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