SD12 - Study of Multijurisdictional Lakes
Executive Summary: As requested by the 1986 General Assembly in SJR 73, the Secretary of Natural Resources has examined the needs and problems of inland lakes bordered by multiple political jurisdictions. This report summarizes the findings of the Secretary and proposes means for mitigating problems of the lakes resulting from the geo-political reality of their bordering more than one political subdivision. Within the Commonwealth, 18 lakes and reservoirs are bordered by more than one political subdivision and have a surface area greater than 200 acres. Together, the water bodies total 134,600 surface acres and touch 27 Virginia counties and 4 cities. Five of these water bodies are federally owned and three share boundaries with other states. All but one of the study lakes are man-made impoundments originally intended as a resource for electric power production or public drinking water. (The one exception, Lake Drummond, is a natural ecological feature within the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.) Building dams to form these lakes created miles of shorelines, generally considered attractive property, and immense recreational potential. Use of adjacent lands and pursuit of recreational activities on and around the lakes are not necessarily incompatible with the primary purpose of the water bodies. The necessity to release certain amounts of water to generate power has been, at times, less than desirable for lake property owners and users. In particular, Lake Moomaw experiences extreme differences in water elevation, disrupting recreational opportunities. Negotiating new terms has been successful to mitigate extreme lows in the water elevation at several publicly- and privately-owned lakes and could be pursued elsewhere at the initiation of the affected localities. The lakes are significant recreational attractors. In fact, five state parks have been located along the shores of four of the multijurisdictional lakes (Anna, Kerr, Philpott and Smith Mountain). Accommodating recreational uses generally poses no conflict when the use of the water body is power production and public access is provided. When the primary purpose of the impoundment is to supply public drinking water some limitations on the type of recreation may be necessary. Where advantageous for reservoir protection, restriction of swimming, skiing, and gas-powered boats may be required by the water supply owner. For purposes of this study, chief administrative officials of the 31 affected local governments, soil and water conservation district chairmen, lake owners and a lake association were contacted to request a description of lake and shoreline activities and problems. Information received through the responses was supplemented by recent studies from local origin and state agency records of activities and programs for the lakes and their immediate surroundings. Nearly all of the issues and needs described by respondents or indicated in the reports relate to land use control, restoration or protection of water quality, and law enforcement. |
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