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Lake Barcroft district advances dam-armoring plans, schedules safety training
Summary
LBWID reported updated hydraulic and inundation modeling for an embankment armoring concept, a Nov. 21 consult with DCR Dam Safety and ongoing FEMA grant follow-up; WRA’s inspection report is expected between late January and mid-February and EAP training is set for Dec. 6, 2024.
The Lake Barcroft Watershed Improvement District reported progress this week on plans to armor the east and west dam embankments and on near-term dam-safety actions.
District staff said engineering firms GKY and WRA have finished hydraulic and hydrologic modeling and are now updating a downstream inundation model under three to four primary failure scenarios, including both instantaneous and timed failures, to evaluate the proposed armoring concept. A multidisciplinary WRA team completed the biennial dam inspection at the LBWID compound and tested operational and backup systems; the district expects WRA’s written report between late January and mid-February.
District staff said it will brief the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Dam Safety team on Nov. 21 about the hydrology/hydraulics modeling and the conceptual armoring design. The district also reported that additional FEMA-required information for a dam-safety grant was to be completed and submitted by Nov. 22, and that the State has about $5 million available from FEMA (from an overall $180 million nationally) for HHP dams; the district noted Virginia has about 236 HHP dams.
Why this matters: the updated modeling and inspection results will shape any design and funding decisions and refine downstream inundation estimates used in emergency planning. The district said the DCR grant approval package was signed in September and will require reporting in December and progress reports every 90 days.
The district also scheduled a Dam Monitoring and Response Standard Operating Policy review and Emergency Action Plan training for LBWID staff and trustees on Dec. 6, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at the LBWID compound. That training is intended to ensure staff understand monitoring triggers and response roles if inspection or modeling work identifies heightened risks.
No formal vote or policy adoption was recorded during the meeting; trustees received staff updates and timelines for the next deliverables and reports.
