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Lake Barcroft trustees move toward embankment armoring after DCR inspection; $500,000 state appropriation attached
Summary
LBWID staff reported submission and DCR approval of the Lake Barcroft dam biennial inspection and trustees authorized staff to develop contractor specifications for joint-sealant replacement and embankment armoring design. A $500,000 state appropriation in HB-1600 is earmarked to bring the project to construction-ready status.
Lake Barcroft Watershed Improvement District staff reported that the district submitted its required dam biennial inspection to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Dam Safety on April 28 and that DCR regional engineer Andrea Henry has approved the inspection report. The inspection identified a need to remove and replace joint sealant on the east and west abutments, walkways and knee-walls, and staff said trustees authorized engaging WRA to develop a scope of work and project specifications to solicit contractor proposals.
The approval from DCR matters because it allows LBWID to move from inspection into design and procurement for repairs that the district says are necessary to maintain dam integrity and public safety. Staff also said WRA is refining its approach to soil and bedrock borings and may fold borings into the first construction phase rather than performing them as a separate preliminary step. Trustee Bill Wagner told the board he believes WRA already has sufficient geotechnical information to proceed on detailed design.
Supporting technical work is underway: consultant GKY has completed roughly half of the updated inundation-zone modeling and mapping and expects to finish by late August. Financially, LBWID reported submitting $96,974.73 in qualifying costs for reimbursement under a $315,000 DCR Dam Safety grant. Separately, staff said the district is pursuing a FEMA Hazard Mitigation/Dam Safety Program grant of $205,000; Jake Shaw, identified in the record as a DCR Dam Safety grants manager, told staff FEMA is working through a final request-for-information stage and is nearing execution of grant agreements.
State funding may accelerate the schedule. On May 2 Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed HB-1600, a biennium budget amendment that includes a $500,000 special appropriation intended to bring the embankment armoring project to a construction-ready state. LBWID staff said the district will apply in August for renewal of its two-year Conditional Operations & Maintenance permit; the current permit expires in November.
Next steps: WRA aims to finalize decisions on borings and final design within the next week or two, staff will solicit contractor proposals after the scope is completed, and the district will pursue available grant reimbursements. The board recorded its authorization for staff to engage WRA to develop specifications for the joint sealant replacement and armoring work, and staff will return with procurement materials and updated cost and schedule estimates.
